HP to provide 2,000 MW power to northern states during summers

Shimla, Apr 18 (UNI) Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal today said the state will provide 2,000 MW power to the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab during this summers.

Addressing a seminar, ''Destination Himachal - New Investment Opportunities'', organised by the PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry at New Delhi, he said the state would generate 12,000 MW power by 2012.

Mr Dhumal said Himachal has recently invited bids for 11 hydel projects for harnessing 587.50 MW of power at a value of Rs 3,000 crore and added that industrialists having their units for the last 15 years would be honoured with bonafide Himachali certificates.

The state government will also set up Hydel Power Training Institute on the pattern of US, he said, adding that it had invited private partnership for the setting up the training institute, which would impart training to the unemployed youth for executing hydro electric projects through co-operative societies.

"The government has also decided to invite bids for execution of five MW of hydel projects as against previous policy of 100 MW capacity to bring total transparency in awarding hydro projects," he added.

The Chief Minister further said that night landing facilities at Kangra, Kullu and Shimla airports would be installed during this fiscal year, besides extending Shimla and Kullu airport runways, to meet the demands of landing of bigger planes that would boost tourism sector.

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