Sukhu urges Centre to hand over Shanan project to HP

Shimla: Himachal Pradesh chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Monday raised the issue of handing over the Shanan project to the state with Union power minister R K Singh in New Delhi.During his meeting with the Union minister, Sukhu informed him that the 99-year lease period of the Shanan project would expire in March next year as per the lease agreement and asked for issuing necessary directions to the Punjab government for taking mandatory steps for handing over the project to the hill state before the expiry of the lease period. Sukhu also apprised the Union minister about the facts regarding the share of the state in the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and sought 12% water royalty for his state. He said due to the construction of various projects by the BBMB, many townships were forced to rehabilitate and even after 50 years, a number of oustees were yet to get compensation.The CM urged R K Singh that the state government might be allowed to impose free power royalty on all commissioned projects of the BBMB. This is a long-pending demand of the state, said Sukhu. He also raised the issue of increasing the royalty of the hill state in the SJVN, saying that free power royalty share being received from the SJVN projects, which had completed the debt period of 12 years, may be enhanced from existing free power royalty share ranging from 12 to 30%.Sukhu also apprised the Union minister about the initiatives being taken by the Himachal towards becoming a ‘green energy state’ and urged him to provide incentives, including tax benefits for green hydrogen production, to boost production of green energy in the state. The Union minister assured of all possible support to the state. Ram Subhag Singh, chairperson, HP State Electricity Board Limited; chief secretary Prabodh Saxena; and Bharat Khera, principal secretary to the CM, were also present.
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