Gao opposes private participation in power projects

Itanagar, Sept 25 (UNI) Lok Sabha MP from Arunachal Pradesh Tapir Gao today opposed the state government decision to award contracts of five mega hydro power projects to private companies to generate 4800 mw of power in the state.

The decision of the state government to hand over works of five projects to Reliance Energy, J P Associates and D S Construction would jeopardise the socio-economic condition of the people, Mr Gao commented during a press conference here today.

He informed that he had several rounds of discussion with Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde in this regard and he was surprised to learn that the Ppower Ministry at the Centre was not informed on this development.

How the state government could sign memoranda of understanding (MOAs) with three private companies without taking consent and clearance from Power, Environment and Water Resources Ministries, he questioned.

The private companies would work for their own interest without looking after the people's welfare, he said and added that the companies in the MOAs had mentioned that all the roads to the project sites would be constructed either by the Centre or the state government.

With Arunachal lying in a high seismic zone, there is high risk factor for natural calamities, he pointed out saying who would take responsibility if there would be loss to lives and property in future through these projects. Disclosing that he would raise the issue in the floor of the Parliament soon, the BJP MP further informed that the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) had already prepared detailed project reports (DPRs) for these projects incurring expenditure of more than Rs 1200 crore till March 31, 2005, observing all formalities.

The NHPC will never hand over the DPRs to any private company with fear that if something goes wrong in the future they will blame the NHPC, he pointed out and said the entire process would have to start from the beginning, which would take another five to six years. The MP also wondered how the Union Power Minister agreed to sign MoU with three power giants recently for those projects whose survey and investigation were yet to begin, instead of going for five projects, the DPRs for which were completed.

UNI UPB SJC/SRC1859