Ex-Power minister opposes private companies in hydel projects

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Itanagar, July 3 (UNI) Arunachal Pradesh unit BJP Vice-President and former minister Lijum Ronya has asked the state government not to hand over hydro-electric projects to private companies.

The projects were supposed to be executed by the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation(NHPC) and North-East Electric and Power Corporation(NEEPCO).

In a letter to Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu here today, Mr Ronya said the previous Gegong Apang government had taken the decision to switch over private companies in the name of revenue earning violating constitutional provisions of the Centre's power policy.

Mr Ronya further said that no private hydel-power developer could take up power project in the absence of road and rail communication infrastructure in the state. Nor would they invest huge crores for development of road communication.

Besides, the state has no power evacuation lines like 400KV and 800KV to inject power produces from Aruanchal, the former power minister said, adding that setting up of such lines required huge amount of money, which would put an extra burden on the private companies.

Saying that public undertakings like NHPC and NEEPCO could provide revenue generation of not less than Rs 500 crore in average, Mr Ronya added that after commissioning of Ranga Nadi Hydel project, the state was earning a revenue of more than Rs 100 crore annually.

Recently the Centre had given approval to the NHPC to provide Rs 225 crore in form of an advance loan to the state government against 2000 MW Lower Subansiri project, which had created a good example of mega hydel project importance undertaken by NHPC in the state, he claimed.

Drawing attention of the chief minister, Mr Ronya lamented that in the absence of distributor appointment in Arunachal, the sudden imposition of Value Added Tax(VAT) and hike in water and electricity charges had created an extra burden on the people.

He requested him to take immediate action to redress public greivances, the letter added.

UNI

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