Russian companies offer to harness 2,000 MW power in HP: CM

Shimla, Sep 29 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today said Russian companies had evinced keen interest in harnessing 2,000 MW in Chandra River basin in Lahaul Valley of the state.

RUS Hydro, a joint venture of the Russian Government, and Hydro Project Executors has evinced interest in undertaking the execution of the entire hydro potential of about 2,000MW in Chandra River basin of Lahaul valley.

Mr Singh revealed this during his meeting with Union Power Ministry's Joint Secretary J S Kawale and SJVNL's CMD H K Sharma here last evening.

"The company has approached the state government for allotment of the projects in the Chandra valley after holding discussions with the Union Power Ministry," he said.

He said the company was also exploring possibilities of executing projects in Arunachal Pradesh, militancy-affected Jammu and Kashmir, Uttrakhand and Sikkim where infrastructural facilities were quite inadequate.

"The company has been asked to participate in the open global bidding and compete with others and bargain for maximum upfront premium with other project executors," he said.

The Chief Minister said hydro sector had the potential to generate huge financial reserves besides employment opportunities for the educated unemployed of the state.

UNI