NHPC readying for disinvestment

Bhopal, July 20 (UNI) The public-sector power-generating major NHPC is also readying itself for disinvestment, its Chairman and Managing Director S K Garg said here today.

''The Centre has alerted us in this regard though the details have to be hammered out. Until 2012, Rs 59 crore will be invested in various NHPC projects. The present output is in the range of 8,000 MW while the target is 10,000,'' he added.

The governments of Himachal Pradesh and Uttaranchal also contacted NHPC while agreement has been reached with Bhutan on two projects.

NHPC's JV partner NHDC posted a turnover of Rs 335.98 crore during the 2005-06 fiscal and earned net profit of Rs 106.10 crore.

At an annual general meeting on July 20, the Board of Directors also announced a dividend of Rs 21.22 crore. In 2003-04, the NHDC posted a turnover of Rs 27.34 crore and earned a net profit of Rs 12.37 crore while 2004-05 figures were Rs 177.67 crore and Rs 33.95 crore respectively.

The NHDC became a profit-making organisation from the very first year of power generation from Indira Sagar and began paying dividend to its JV partners NHPC and the Madhya Pradesh government. Until July 18, 4,532 million units were generated.

In 2005-06, NHDC generated 2,573.36 million units from Indira Sagar exceeding the targeted 1,583 million units.

Indira Sagar's units 7 and 5 -- of 125 MW each -- commissioned during 2004-05, have been selected for national awards for 'Best-Executed Hydropower Project' and 'Second Best-Executed Hydropower Project' under category 'A' (generating unit size above 100 MW).

Rehabilitation of 39,153 of 39,178 project-affected families was completed until July 18 and 146 villages fully rehabilitated.

The Omkareshwar Project is scheduled to be completed in February 2008 with a completion cost of Rs 2,224.73 crore.

Survey of three other hydropower projects -- Handia, Bauras and Hoshangabad -- is in progress. The NHDC might also venture into setting up a thermal power station in this state.

UNI Team-AC 1947