New package for Tehri announced

The controversial 2,400 Mw Tehri hydel project today cleared one more hurdle after the Centre announced a fresh package of Rs 149 crore for the rehabilitation of the displaced people.

An announcement to this effect was made by Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde during a visit to Tehri, officials here said.

"We are pleased to announce that a package of Rs 149 crore for Tehri has been accepted by the centre," Tehri District Magistrate UD Chaube said.

This is the second rehabilitation package in four years. The centre had earlier approved a package of Rs 234 crore in 2003.

The first phase (1,000 Mw) of the Tehri dam, which is being built by the Tehri development Corporation, has already been commissioned.

The work is in progress for the second and third phase of the dam which will together produce 1400 MW of power. An estimated sum of Rs 10,000 crores has already been spent on the dam which is the highest in Asia.

With the announcement of fresh rehabilitation package, the remaining hurdles in the way of the Tehri dam have been cleared, experts noted.

Meanwhile, with Uttarakhand coming under the grip of acute power crisis, Chief Minister B C Khanduri today sought more electricity from the central pool and also called for enhancing wheat quota.

Khanduri also asked the centre to increase the wheat quota for Uttarakhand and alleged that the wheat quota has been lowered from 18470 metric tons to 1566 metric tons.

Khanduri also sought extension of the Industrial package till 2013. "The package was meant for 10 year period. It was the UPA government which reduced it to 7 years," he said.