The Hindu : Centre will speed up hydel projects: PM

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 13, 2003

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Centre will speed up hydel projects: PM

GANGTOK APRIL 12. The Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee, said today that the Centre would speed up hydroelectric power projects as the target was to double the power supply to one lakh MW in the next ten years and "light every home and road in the country".

Speaking at a function to review the progress of the 510 MW Teesta hydroelectric stage five project at Singtam near here, he said the Rs. 2,200 crores project completed by the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) ahead of schedule, would accelerate progress in the State and enable it to get 12 per cent free power.

"We want to speed up hydro-electric power as it is free from environmental pollution unlike that from coal,'' Mr. Vajpayee said adding that Parliament had recently passed the Electricity Bill to streamline the power sector.

He sought to allay apprehensions that completion of the Teesta Project could result in unemployment. "There should be no cause for worry for those who apprehend loss of work because of completion of the project ahead of time as all would be provided employment."

Speaking on the occasion, the Governor V. Rama Rao, and the Chief Minister, Pawan Kumar Chamling, thanked the Centre for the assistance provided to Sikkim and hoped that it would continue to do so as "we are far away and, therefore, should be looked after".

The Minister of State for Power, Jaywantiben Mehta, said the country had hydropower potential of 1.48 lakh MW but had exploited only 26,660 MW so far.

Earlier, Mr. Vajpayee arrived in Sikkim today on a four-day visit during which he would have meetings with Mr. Chamling, his Cabinet colleagues and officials to review development works.

"I have been looking forward to this visit. This would enable me to see development works in the state. Sikkim has always been the centre of attraction for tourists from all over the country and I am very happy to be here," Mr. Vajpayee told presspersons on his arrival here.

He was accompanied by his daughter, son-in-law and granddaughter.

This is the first visit of the Prime Minister to Sikkim in nine years. The former Prime Minister, P.V. Narasimha Rao, had visited the State in 1994.

— PTI

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