Minister lambasts Congress on Pathrakadavu project

Thiruvananthapuram, Apr 26 (UNI) Kerala Electricity Minister A K Balan today lambasted the Congress for asking the state government to drop the proposed 70-MW Pathrakadavu Hydro-electric Project, and said it was during the Congress-led United Democratic Front's (UDF) regime the project was conceived and studies were conducted.

''Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan had made it clear that the project was now being looked into by the Environment Ministry and the project would not be taken up if it posed a threat to the Silent Valley. Even after the Chief Minister's statement, the Congress was unnecessarily raising the issue without even realising that the project was conceived during its rule,'' he told reporters here.

The LDF government had already made it clear that no project would come up in the state without taking into account the environmental issues, he said.

Mr Balan said the Kerala State Electricity Board had given administrative sanction for the project in 2003 and it was during the UDF's rule that a Rapid Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) was done and public hearing was held.

The UDF government had given Rs 22 lakh for the Environmental Resources Research Centre for conducting the Rapid EIA and the report came out in 2005 and when the electricity department was making the assessment of the report, elections came and the UDF was ousted from power, he said.

Moreover, the River Valley Expert Committee would look into the report and only then a final decision would be taken on, he said adding that it was not fair on the part of the Congress to raise the issue now as they were aware that ultimately it was the Forests and Environment Ministry that had to give the approval to the project.

Mr Balan said the state needed more electricity in the coming years for more development in the industrial sector. New projects like Vizhinjam Deepwater International Container Terminal, Smart City and the Vallarpadam Container Terminal were coming up and there was a need for more electricity .

He said hydel projects suited best for the state.

Mr Balan expressed his displeasure over the Centre for cutting short the power allotment to the state.

Now there was a deficit of 68 MW from the Central pool, he added.

UNI