Khandu asks private companies to complete hydro projects on time

The Arunachal Pradesh Government would review the Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) with the private companies building mega hydro power projects in the State if they fail to complete their work in time, Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu said.The government has issued notices to these companies, asking them to finish their work in time, Khandu said after a fortnight-long trip to Delhi with some of his Cabinet colleagues.He said that projects above 100 MW would be routed through national or global tender and Rs two lakh per mega watt advance would be part of the conditionality.

Arunachal Pradesh, with a potential to produce over 60,000 MW of hydro power as identified by the Central Electricity Authority, signed MoAs and MoUs for development of a total of about 20,000 MW with both private and public sector companies last year.Khandu said that during his stay in Delhi, he met UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the first time after he took over as the Chief Minister and apprised them of the situation in the State.

Meanwhile, Khandu urged the Prime Minister to remove hurdles on environmental issues created by NGOs that have come in the way of mega hydro-power projects in the State.

The development of the State’s hydro-power potential, estimated to be over 60,000 MW by the Central Electricity Authority, would enable Arunachal Pradesh to earn huge revenue that would remove poverty and spread education among tribals, Khandu said.But in doing so, the State’s forest cover, comprising 82 per cent of the land mass, should not be sacrificed, said Khandu, who Wednesday called on the Prime Minister for the first time after becoming Chief Minister.

Khandu and Home Minister Jarbom Gamlin requested Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil to deploy two additional battalions of CRPF to deal with insurgent groups, including the ULFA from neighbouring Assam, who have taken refuge in Arunachal Pradesh’s forests.An official release said Patil assured them that he would do so as soon as the State Government submitted a plan on their deployment to the Centre.

Khandu also met Union Power Minister S K Shinde, Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar and Tourism and Culture Minister Ambika Soni

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