HP CM seeks 12% free power from BBMB

Shimla, Jun 23 (PTI) Himachal Pradesh, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to allow 12 per cent free power from all Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) projects, saying "the state has suffered and did not get its due".

In a letter sent to the Prime Minister, the chief minister pointed out that while all the hydropower projects approved by the state government are providing free power, the BBMB projects are not contributing any free power to the state, despite the fact that vast hydropower potential in Himachal Pradesh was taken away with the setting up of BBMB projects.

"The state has suffered and did not get its due. This historical wrong can be corrected now with your intervention by providing 12 per cent free power from BBMB projects to Himachal Pradesh," a statement issued here on Monday said.

In a separate letter to Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, Sukhu has urged him to direct Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) to provide one per cent additional free power over and above the free power, from Nathpa Jhakri Power Project for the Local Area Development Fund on the analogy of Rampur Power Project of SJVNL in the larger interest of affected families by the project.


In the letter, he said that despite repeated requests at various levels, the state has not received its rightful representation as a whole-time member in the BBMB and also requested the Union power minister to ensure representation to Himachal Pradesh in the BBMB.

The chief minister has also written a letter to his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini, stating that Haryana shall convey in writing for giving consent to provide BBMB energy arrears of his share with six per cent interest before the next date of hearing.

Haryana and Punjab share energy arrears of 13,066 million units from November 1966 to October 2011 from BBMB, which can be given over a period of 15 years to Himachal Pradesh at the rate of 871 million units per year.

He said, "A resolution on this matter would enable both our States to move forward on the projects in the pipeline and also projects under consideration to address the needs of Haryana".