The new power policy reposes faith on local people and gram panchayats.
After many of its big hydel projects ran into problems owing to environmental threats, the Uttarakhand government is focussing on its new power policy on micro and mini hydel projects in the hill state which has a huge potential for generating power.
Uttarakhand Infrastructure Projects Company (UIPC) Ltd, a joint venture between IL&FS and the state government, has finalised the bidding process for four hdyel projects at Nayar valley in Pauri district.
These projects include the 17-Mw Nayar dam, 2-Mw Santudhar-I, 2-Mw Santudhar-II and 2.25-Mw Biyali Gaon — all on the Nayar river, a tributary of the Ganga. Nayar is a perennial river having a huge catchment area in the valley.
On the other hand, Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Ltd (UJVNL) has also extended the date for inviting bids for micro, mini and small hydel projects till December 5. UJVNL, which initiated the bidding process for various projects in September, has repeatedly extended the dates due to lacklustre response. But the company has not given up hopes and expects the policy to materialise in the near future. “The hydro electricity sector is usually very slow,” commented an official of the state power department.
For power generation, the Uttarakhand government is giving preference to local entrepreneurs and gram panchayats to build micro and mini hydel projects with a slew of sops under the new policy that was announced early this year.
In the policy, the state government has reposed considerable faith on local people and gram panchayats to boost power generation in the hill state, which is presently facing acute power shortage. Besides gram panchayats and locals, societies registered in the state are also being given preference in the power generation programme, top officials here said.
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“We are also giving various incentives including loans from banks and subsidies to local entrepreneurs,” said the official.
Hydro projects have been grouped in three broad categories — micro, mini and small. Projects with a capacity of up to 100 Kw power generation will be categorised as micro, mini projects will be in the range of 100 Kw and 5 Mw, while the small projects will consist of above 5 Mw and up to 25 Mw. Big projects will have a generation capacity above 25 Mw.
Significantly, top officials see a paradigm shift in the new policy. Earlier, the previous government had reposed more faith in private companies from outside the state.
The government has also made a provision for self-identified projects. In this category, developers may identify projects, prepare detailed project reports (DPRs) and ask for allotment. In the other category, the state or state-sponsored agencies may identify the projects of any size, prepare DPRs and allot them.
However, small projects would be open to all and there would be no reservations. For this, premium would be decided once they are allotted depending upon the capacity of the project, the officials said, adding there would be open competitive bidding in this regard.
Under the five-year plan period, UJVNL has set a target of generating 100 Mw through small hydel projects and the government expects the private sector to generate 400 Mw during the period.