Government to overhaul Hydro Power Policy

New Delhi, Aug 10 (UNI) In a bid to attract more investments in the country's hydro power sector, the Government today said it will bring in key changes in the Hydroelectric Power Policy.

''The paper is with Cabinet, which will consider the required changes to be made in the policy for the development of untapped hydro potential,'' Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told reporters here today.

He said the country has a huge hydro power potential of about 1,30,000 MW, of which only 3,200 MW has been harnessed.

Launching the ''Hydropowernet'', a web based Management Information System (MIS) of the Ministry, the Minister said, the data will be released for the common man in the next six months, which will ultimately bring transparency and clarity.

The website will help for on-line monitoring of Hydro Power Projects and provides a platform for data sharing between various Hydro Utilities, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) and the Ministry of Power (MOP).

Mr Shinde said the Power Ministry was giving highest priority to hydro projects and has simplified various procedures related to statutory clearances.

All major organisations which facilitate hydropower development and execution in the central sector have been integrated in the Hydropower-net namely MOP, CEA and Central Hydro Utilities such as NHPC, SJVNL, BBMB, NTPC, NEEPCO, DVC.

UNI