Dutch firm gets power project in Himachal

Shimla: The Himachal Pradesh government has allotted the Rs 8,000-crore, 960-Mw Jhangi-Thopan hydro power project to Dutch power company Brakel Corporation.

The announcement came days after the company made a forceful representation urging the state govenment not to cancel the project, officials said. The state cabinet, headed by Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal, took the decision on Tuesday.

The inquiry report by the state power secretary had recommended cancellation of the allotment of the project to Brakel, on grounds of alleged mis-representation of facts, including not having sufficent financial backing.

These charges were dismissed by Brakel, when a seven-member team, headed by Dean Gesterkamp, chairman, Brakel, David Smith of Standard Bank, Dublin-based carbon credits trading company Ecosecurities, Paul William of Halcrow in London Energy Infrastructure Overseas and Sanjay Sagar of the Adani group pleaded in favour of the company. “Justice has been finally done,” said Anil Wahal, director, Brakel Corporation, after the allotment of the project.

In January this year, the newly-elected BJP government served a show cause notice to Brakel for cancellation of the 960-Mw Jhangi-Thopan project, to be built on the Sutlej river in the tribal-dominated Kinnaur district.

But soon after, the government decided to drop the notice and accepted the upfront money of Rs 173 crore, along with Rs 20 crore as interest money from the company.

Then again the government changed its stand and slapped a second notice to Brakel, saying that some facts had come to light on the basis of which the project should not be given to the company.

A committee headed by the state power secretary was set up to look into the matter.