Hydro-engineering college gets Centre’s nod

Pratibha Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, July 18

With the Centre approving the setting up of the Hydro-Power Engineering College in Bilaspur, Himachal will be signing an agreement with the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) later this week.

The approval from the Union Power Ministry was received just two days back and the signing of two separate agreements by Himachal Government with the NHPC and the NTPC is likely to be done within this week. A chunk of land measuring 62 bighas has already been identified and finalized at Bandhla village in Bilaspur district.

“It is just two days back that we received approval from the Centre and the agreement is likely to be signed within a week’s time,” confirmed Sanjay Gupta, Secretary, Technical Education. He revealed that there would be a total of 240 seats in civil, electrical, mechanical and computer engineering. The MoU has been drafted and sent to the Union Power Ministry so that it could be signed at the earliest.

As per the memorandum of understand (MoU), the Himachal Government will constitute the Board of Governors of the college and 50 per cent of the members will be from the NHPC, the NTPC and Power Ministry and the remaining from the state government.

The NTPC and the NHPC will provide a sum of Rs 37.50 crore each in the first installment and Rs 25 lakh each later. Himachal Government will not have to make any expenditure as it will be providing land for the college.

As far as the filling of seats is concerned, Himachal will get a share of 65 per cent, the NHPC and the NTPC jointly will have 15 per cent and the remaining 20 per cent will be filled from the all-India quota.

The delay in the setting up of the hydro-engineering college had become a major bone of contention between the BJP and the Congress, with both blaming each other. In fact, Union Health Minister JP Nadda was instrumental in getting the project pushed through as it will be located in his home district.

With there being speculation that Nadda could make a comeback in state politics by being the chief ministerial candidate, the starting of the hydro-engineering college was crucial for him, politically. He is also pursuing vigorously the setting up of the AIIMS at Bilaspur, which has been approved by the Narendra Modi regime for Himachal last year.