Power shock to HP government; on Power Company’s plea High Court orders attachment of Himachal Bhawan at Delhi
Kanwar Inder Singh/ royalpatiala.in News/ November 19,2024
The Himachal Pradesh High Court on Monday ordered the attachment of Himachal Bhawan, the state’s premier guesthouse at 27 Sikandra Road in New Delhi, for potential auction over unpaid dues to Seli Hydro Electric Power Company.
As per availble information, the court has ordered the attachment of the Himachal Bhawan in Delhi for the recovery of Rs 150 crore that the State government owes to a power firm, Seli Hydropower Electrical Company.
Single bench, Justice Ajay Mohan Goel directed the principal secretary of the multi-purpose projects and power departments to conduct a factual inquiry to identify which specific officer(s) were responsible for failing to deposit the arbitration award amount of Rs 64 crore along with seven per cent interest in court.
The case pertains to the 340 MW Seli Hydropower Electric Project on the Chenab river in Lahaul and Spiti district.
While interacting with media persons here today, Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said that the State Government would take appropriate legal measures on decision of the High Court of Himachal Pradesh in which orders were passed to attach Himachal Bhawan at New Delhi.
He said that the State Government would advocate this case vigorously to protect the interests of the State. He said that the project was awarded to the company in 2009 and according to the then Power Policy, there was no provision to refund the upfront premium in case the DPR is submitted saying the project is not financially viable, irrespective of whether a company succeeds in setting up the power project or not. He said that under the then energy Policy there was a provision to pay Rs. 10 lakh per MW to the State but during the competitive bidding M/s Moser Bear project private limited quoted Rs. 20 lakh per megawatt and deposited an upfront premium amounting to Rs. 64 crore. He said that he was aware of the provision of this policy because it was framed when Vidya Stokes was the Power Minister and me as MLA at that time contributed in framing this policy.
A tripartite pre implementation agreement between Government of Himachal Pradesh, M/s Moser Baer projects Private Limited and M/s Seli Hydro electric Power Company was executed on 22nd March 2011 in respect of Seli Hydel Electric Project of 320 MW. In 2017 the company surrendered the project citing reason that the project was not financially viable and the Government cancelled the allotment as per the Policy forfeited the upfront premium.
Sukhu said that Leader of Opposition Jai Ram Thakur distributed freebies worth Rs. 5000 crore on the onset of Vidhan Sabha elections-2022. He described it as a virtual auction of the resources of the State. He said that the State Government was also successful in securing the decision from the High Court in Adani’s case in favour of the State. But during the previous BJP Government regime Jai Ram Thakur did not even bother to challenge the adverse verdict by the single bench of the High Court in the case. However, the present State Government pleaded the case before the double bench saving Rs. 280 crore of the State by forcefully taking the pleas of the agreement and judgment of the double bench of the High Court was pronounced in favour of state government.
Power shock to HP government; on Power Company’s plea High Court orders attachment of Himachal Bhawan at Delhi. The Chief Minister rebuked the Statement of Jai Ram Thakur in which he stated that the Government should have hired top advocates for contesting the issue, mentioning that why the Jai Ram Government didn’t take much interest during their regime since they were in power for five years. But the Jai ram Government was busy distributing freebies, and had no worries about the interest of the State and committed administrative and legal lapses.
