Now, Himachal Pradesh Power Corp to execute 780 MW Jangi Thopan project
The state government-owned HP Power Corporation Ltd will execute the 780 MW Jangi Thopan Powari hydroelectric power project, the allotment of which to Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (SJVNL) was cancelled last year.
The Cabinet took the decision at a meeting held under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu here today. The Cabinet also decided to allot the 1,630 MW Renuka and 270 MW Thana Plaun pump storage hydroelectric power projects to HP Power Corporation Ltd.
The Jangi Thopan Powari project, located on the Satluj in Kangra district, has been in the news following the decision of the Congress government to cancel its allotment to the SJVNL for its failure to start the work. It was in November 2023 that the Cabinet had decided to cancel the allotment of the project to the SJVNL.
On November 18, 2023, the state government had cancelled the allotment of the project on the grounds that the SJVNL had failed to start the work on it within the stipulated period. The project was allotted to the SJVNL on November 24, 2018, and an agreement was signed on September 25, 2019. The SJVNL being a Central Government undertaking, the NDA government had sanctioned Rs 93.24 crore on May 20, 2021, for undertaking the pre-construction activities.
The Chief Minister has been vociferous in advocating for Himachal’s legitimate rights while accusing the previous BJP government of failing to protect the rights of the state, especially in the signing of the agreements for hydroelectric power projects. However, Sukhu yesterday said that a revision petition would be filed before the High Court of Himachal to take over the 210 MW Luhri project stage-I, 66 MW Dhaula Sidh and 382 MW Sunni hydropower projects.
Sukhu has raised the issue of Himachal’s interests being compromised by the previous BJP government while signing the agreements for these three projects. He has made it amply clear that if the executing agencies do not adhere to the terms and conditions, the Himachal Government will take them over.
