Himachal Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh today inaugurated first phase of 65 MW Kashang Hydel Project in the tribal Kinnaur district.
The work on 195 MW (three units of 65 MW each) Kashang Project is being executed by Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited.
The Chief Minister said that it was another feather added in the cap of hydel generation sector.
Apart from this, it was one of the projects registered as "Green Power Project" under clean development mechanism.
He said powerhouse was complete for this 195 MW project but due to some disputes pending in the National Green Tribunal, only 65 MW power was being produced presently and we are hoping for quick resolution of these disputes.
The project commenced in 2009.
Expressing pleasure over the steps taken for rehabilitation and relief provided to project affected families (PAFs) by HPPCL, he said these families would be provided 100 units free electricity per month once the project was commissioned completely.
MPP and Power Minister Sujan Singh Pathania said that the state government was giving financial assistance in lieu of forest customary rights for 500 days minimum wages for labour disbursed to 510 affected families amounting to Rs 3.76 crore.
Besides the Local Area Development Fund (LADF) @ 1.5 percent of project cost amounting to Rs 7.06 crore had been deposited with LADA authorities and even self employment schemes had been started for PAFs.
Managing Director HPPCL Devesh Kumar informed that rehabilitation and resettlement had been paid upto the tune of Rs 90 lakh in favour of land losers and Rs 105 lakh to 151 PAFs as compensation on account of cracks in their houses.
Earlier, addressing a public meeting at Bagipul, Singh announced mega sops for Bagipul in Nirmand Block of Anni assembly segment in Kullu district which included opening of Primary Health Centre at Bagipul, Luhri, Urtu and at Ghattu.
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