Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein on Sunday informed that the state government has terminated 44 memorandums of agreements with various private power developers as they “showed less interest” in executing hydropower projects allotted to them. The projects, with an installed capacity of 32,415 megawatt, are likely to be handed over to central public sector understandings (CPSU) in the days to come. Most of these MoAs were with private developers. There are possibilities that they might drag the government to court over the move, and the government should prepare accordingly.
Many of these projects faced stiff resistance from the locals, due to which they could never take off. The developers, sensing the mood of the local people, never tried to implement the project. Therefore the state government should look into this aspect too. Tomorrow, if a CPSU is given these projects, the issue of local opposition to the dam might again create trouble for the developers. The government should not try to forcibly execute these projects if the local people are dead opposed to it. The hydropower projects still divide the opinion of the people. The state government cannot overlook the sentiment of those who oppose construction of large dams in the state. The projects should be taken up only when the locals are on board.