Fresh bids for Kol Dam soon

SHIMLA, April 20: Himachal Pradesh Government would invite fresh offers for execution of 800 MW Kol Dam project and also proposes to serve a...

SHIMLA, April 20: Himachal Pradesh Government would invite fresh offers for execution of 800 MW Kol Dam project and also proposes to serve an ultimatum on National Hydro Power Corporation NHPC either to execute Chamera-II project or leave it for the state.

Talking to media persons here this morning, Public Works and Power Minister Sukh Ram said the BJP-HVC Government has decided to review all the MOUs signed with private sector firms by the previous Congress government for execution of over half a dozen hydel projects. He announced that bids approved for Kol Dam projects would be cancelled and projects would be re- advertised. 8220;The government would invite financial bids and pre-qualification bids together in order to save time,8221; he explained.

The main objection of the government on Kol Dam bids approved by the Congress government was that only one party was asked to submit the offers. But this did not seem fair, he said.

About 2100 MW Parbati hydel project, whose execution had been hanging fire ever since the previous BJP government had signed the agreement with five partner states, Sukh Ram said he would soon write to the states to submit their investment plans. This would enable the government to know whether the the partner states were really serious about the execution of the joint venture or not. If the states fail to submit the same, the government had an option to decide its own course, he said.

8220;We can ask other funding agencies to help the state in taking up its execution at a faster speed,8221; he added.

Sukh Ram, however, said the stand taken by the previous Congress government to raise the share of Himachal from five per cent to 25 per cent in the Parbati project would remain unchanged. But this would not be a hurdle in the execution of the project.

8220;If not 25 per cent, let it be raised to 15 per cent,8221; he suggested. The partner states include Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

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The power minister said that work on all hydel projects, which had either been given to the private sector of other joint ventures, would start within six months. He said NHPC had been holding up the Chamera Project for past over four years.

8220;If NHPC is not prepared to execute the project8217;s second phase, it should surrender the project and allow the state government to take up its work. I will not allow any agency, even HPSEB to hang on to the project without starting the work,8221; Sukh Ram warned.