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Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu met Union Minister for Power RK Singh in New Delhi today and informed him that the 99-year-lease period of the Shanan Project was expiring in March 2024 as per the lease agreement and asked for issuing necessary directions to the Punjab government for taking steps for handing over the project to Himachal before the expiry of the lease period.
He also apprised the Union Minister about the facts regarding the share of the state in Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) and demanded for 12 percent water royalty for the state. He said that due to the construction of projects by BBMB, many townships were compelled to face rehabilitation and numbers of oustees were not yet compensated even after fifty years. He urged that the state government may be allowed to impose free power royalty in all commissioned projects of BBMB. He said that this was the long pending demand of the state. He also raised the issue of raising the royalty of state in SJVNL, he said that free power royalty shares being received from SJVNL projects which have completed a debt period of 12 years, may be enhanced from existing free power royalty shares ranging from 12 to 30 per cent. Chief Minister also apprised the Minister about the initiatives of the state being taken for becoming a Green Energy State and urged to provide incentives including tax benefits for green hydrogen production to boost the production of green energy in the state. The Union Minister assured of all possible support to the state. Ram Subhag Singh, Chairman HP State Electricity Board Limited, Prabodh Saxena, Chief Secretary, Bharat Khera, Principal Secretary to the Chief Minister and Vivek Bhatia, Principal Private Secretary to CM were also present in the meeting. (ANI)
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