NHPC hands over DPRs to JPA, Reliance

Itanagar, Jan 29 (UNI) The National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) has handed over the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of two major power projects in Arunachal Pradesh to private power developers - Jaiprakash Associates (JPA) and Reliance Energy Limited (REL).

''The JPA has paid Rs 111 crore while the REL has paid Rs 77 crore to the NHPC against the DPRs prepared after years of survey and investigation in the Siang basin,'' Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu said during a press briefing here yesterday.

The two projects, namely 1600 MW Siang Lower Project and 1000 MW Siyom project, taken over by the NHPC, got entangled in problems after the state government signed a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with private power developers during 2005-06 following payment of Rs 5.1 crore by the JPA and Rs 3.1 crore by the REL to the state government.

NHPC chairman S C Garg, during his visit to the state last year, informed that the Public Sector Undertaking will not hand over the DPRs to private players and make all efforts to retain them.

''The NHPC is executing several projects in the state, including the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri project at Gerukamukh, Tawang I and II projects of 750 MW each at Tawang,'' officials stated.

The state government said the NHPC had undertaken the survey for three projects, including 700 MW Tato-II project, on its own without signing any MoUs and hence the latter was not bound to award those projects to the NHPC.

The Chief Minister informed that Tato-II was also awarded to REL on upfront payment of Rs 2.17 crore and the entire issue was being processed by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA).

He also informed mediapersons recently that the state government had decided to award hydropower projects to those companies which were willing to take up various developmental projects, including medical and engineering colleges, hospitals, besides meeting other conditions.

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