ITANAGAR, 10 Jan: The state government has decided to hand over five terminated hydropower projects from individual power producers (IPP) to central public sector undertakings (CPSU) for development.
The projects to be handed over are Naying (1,000 mw), Hirong (500 mw), Emini (500 mw), Amulin (420 mw), and Minundon (400 mw).
While the Naying and Hirong projects will be handed over to the NEEPCO, the remaining three will be given to the SJVNL.
The decision was taken during a cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pema Khandu at the state secretariat here on Tuesday.
These projects will see an investment of Rs 40,000 crore in the next five to seven years and would generate green power of 2,880 mw and provide revenue of around Rs 500 crore per year in free power and around Rs 100 crore for local area development.
The cabinet approved the indicative procedure for transferring the stalled hydropower projects from the IPPs to the CPSUs “in order to unlock the potential.”
An action plan has been prepared to commence work on 13 priority projects with 12,343 mw capacity. This would lead to an investment of Rs 1.5 lakh crore and would provide revenue of Rs 2,000 crore to the state as free power, and around Rs 350 crore per year for local area development.
The cabinet also approved inclusion of one male and one female member in the local area development committee set up under the deputy commissioner for the management of the local area development fund.
The cabinet decided that revenue generated by the state government through the free power will be invested in government bonds/green bonds, which would be used for the development of the state.
“Hydropower is a major source of renewable energy, and, if harnessed, would bring in all-round socioeconomic development of the area through massive investment in infrastructure as well as provisions such as free power, local area development fund, employment, contracts and business opportunities, social sector development such as health and education,” the state cabinet observed.
It further opined that the state, through its hydropower, would be a major contributor to India’s commitment to increase non-fossil energy capacity to 500 gw. (CM’s PR Cell)
