With the Gas Authority of India (Gail) approving plans to bring gas pipeline to Uttarakhand, the state government has approved plans by a private company to set up 225 Mw gas-based power plant at the industrial town of Kashipur in Kumaon region.
Shrawanti Energy Pvt Ltd, a Gurgaon-based company, is setting up the gas-based plant at Kashipur where GAIL plans to bring gas pipeline from the neighbouring Uttar Pradesh.
This has led to a lot of resentment among the Congress party with three of its MLAs opposing the project, alleging that the government accorded industrial status to the company by compromising the interests of the state.
“We will cancel this project in case we come to power in the next Assembly election,” said Kishor Upadhayay along with two other MLAs — Karan Mehra and Manoj Tiwari.
Significantly, the new controversy has erupted at a time when the state government is already facing allegations of irregularities in the allotment of some hydel projects to liquor and new companies.
The three MLAs also alleged the government for according industrial status to Shrawanti Energy due to which the state lost the leverage of getting 13 per cent of the free power as royalty.
“If this project comes under energy sector, the state will get 13 per cent of free power as royalty,” the three MLAs further alleged. In addition to this, they alleged that the government also provided a series of sops like stamp duty exemption to the company.
When contacted, a state government official rejected the allegations saying the plan was approved after a thorough assessment of the gas-scenario in the region.
