SIKKIM: Union Power Minister dedicates 510 MW Teesta Stage V hydro power plant to the nation Rs. 5 crore ITI announced for Sikkim
Posted by barunroy on July 5, 2009
FROM SIKKIM EXPRESS
GANGTOK, July 04: Union Power Minster Sushil Kumar Shinde today dedicated to the nation the 510 MW Teesta Stage V hydel power station commissioned by National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) during a formal ceremony at Balutar located in East Sikkim along the Teesta river, some 40 kms away from the State capital.
Built at a cost of Rs. Rs 2619 crores and completed in a span of eight years, the Teesta Stage V mega power project had been fully commissioned in March last year and is one of the largest hydel power plant in the Northeast region.
The electricity being generated at Teesta Stage V plant is being supplied to power deficit States of West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar which had previously entered into a purchase agreement with NHPC.
The Teesta Stage V plant will go a long way to tide over the power shortage in West Bengal, Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar, said Mr. Shinde to mark the dedication to the nation of the hydel plant.
The Union Minister also added that the commissioning of the hydel plant has also helped the Himalayan State of Sikkim financially as it has been getting 12 per cent free power of its installed capacity which fetched it about 125 crores annually to emerge as a permanent source of revenue which could be utilised for various development works.
“The border State has benefited in terms of infrastructure development and social welfare of the populace inhabiting near the project site as the public sector hydro developer has pumped huge money to cater to education, health, roads and other facilities for the local people”, Mr. Shinde said.
The Union Minister lavished praise on Chief Minister Pawan Chamling for his commitment to the State’s development. Mr. Shinde said that it was due to Mr. Chamling’s leadership that the border State of Sikkim will become financially self-reliant in years to come once all the ongoing power project construction works are completed and get commissioned.
Contrary to you (Sikkim) to look up to the Centre for funds, the country looks upon Sikkim for electricity and other resources, Mr. Shinde said in a lighter vein.
With more hydro projects in pipeline in Sikkim to the tune of the projected capacity of over 5500 MW to be completed in the next couple of years, Mr. Shinde said that the small State like Sikkim has emerged as a key destination for tapping its natural resources in terms of hydro power projects.
The Union Minister also promised all assistance to the state government for implementation of the rural electrification in Sikkim under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY), including that of 25 villages left out from the scheme as was demanded by the Chief Minister.
Mr. Shinde said that the laying out of the electricity lines by the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI) for supply of power from various hydro projects in Sikkim will also be done expeditiously.
The Union Minister also showed his commitment towards Sikkim by asking NHPC Chief Managing Director SK Garg to appoint one official at each commissioned and proposed plants in the state to deal specifically with the relief and rehabilitation-related issues of the general public after the Chief Minister raised the pending demands of the people living near the Teesta Stage V project.
Mr. Shinde said that he will personally monitor the relief and rehabilitation measures for those people evacuated for the construction of the hydel plant or living nearly. He further said that he was in favour of more local people getting jobs at the hydel projects and said the Centre will open a ITI for imparting technical education at an estimated cost of Rs. 5 crore so as to train the youths for the requirements of technical jobs at the hydel plants.
The State government should consider finding out a suitable plot somewhere between the two hydel projects (Teesta Stage IV and V) for setting up the educational institution so that the youths located at either side of the two plants may benefit, he said.
Besides Sikkim and its people, the NHPC employees too came for effusive praise for the commissioning of the hydel project here as Mr. Shinde announced an ex-gratia of Rs. 10,000 for each of 412 employees with the public sector hydro developer at its Teesta Stage V unit.
Earlier in his speech, the Chief Minister raised the pending demands of the people affected by the Teesta Stage V project.
While pointing out that Sikkim has dedicated a 510 MW hydel power plant to the nation’s development, Mr. Chamling said that the people of Sikkim deserves meaningful job opportunities with justified remuneration and proper compensation for those whose houses have been damaged by the project. He further urged the NHPC officials to amicably fulfill all the demands of the affected people, especially in the compensation and employment front. “Similar yardstick for local and non-local employees” said Mr. Chamling while stressing on the inclusion of local engineers, officials and other employees in the C and D Grades. He assured full support of the State government to the future projects of NHPC.
Mr. Chamling requested the power developers to look into the interests of Sikkim and Sikkimese people while he will look into all the project related constraints.
Stressing on the need of effective and eco-friendly utilization of natural resources of the state he termed the inauguration of the project as an exemplary act of development done by Sikkim. “Border state can be peaceful”, he said citing examples of the various developmental projects underway in the state.
In his address, Governor Balmiki Prasad Singh said that Teesta River is a like gold mine for Sikkim people and stressed that the river should not be polluted. He also said that proper compensation should be given to those 45 labourers of different contractors lost their lives in this project. He also suggested to NHPC to set up a regional centre to give technical training to local youth.
