HP demands compliance of 70% local employment in Central PSUs

Shimla, Sep 12 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh Government would take serious view of non-compliance of 70 percent employment condition in all the Central Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) like NHPC, NTPC, SJVNL, HEPs under execution in the state, Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said.

The Chief Minister raised the issue with Union Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh, during a meeting in Delhi yesterday.

He said that the NHPC, NTPC and SJVNL authorities are yet to implement the condition of 70 percent employment to the local people in their projects.

Seeking the intervention of the Union Minister to get the local people their share of employment in all such projects, he said, "The state government is extending all possible help to the project executing authorities while they are ignoring the interests of the state." The Chief Minister also drew the attention of the the Union Minister towards the long pending demands of the government for its legitimate share of free power, relief and rehabilitation of the oustees, in all the hydro electric projects executed by the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB).

He said that the matter had been raised time and again on all fronts with the Central Government but nothing had so far been done.

"Thousands of families were ousted, rendered homeless, to pave the way for the construction of the Bhakra Dam, Pong Dam and BSL Project and the legitimate share of free power and other incentives to the oustees, as per the agreement, are still pending for disposal," he said.

He said that the state government had been preferring the central PSUs for taking up the exploitation of the identified hydel potential in the state with the condition that the New Power Policy was implemented in letter and spirit, 70 percent employment be provided to the local people at all levels, attractive relief and rehabilitation package offered to the people, who had been giving their ancestral possessions like land and house for the projects.

The Union Minister assured the Chief Minister that he would look into the matter of employment condition not being followed by NHPC, NTPC and SJVNL authorities.

He also assured the Chief Minister that he would be looking into all the pending issues of the state with his Ministry and get the matter decided the earliest possible so that the relief due to the state was given in time.

UNI XC PS MMS1903