Project-affected people to be compensated handsomely: Union Power Minister R K Singh

 OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: Union Minister R K Singh asserted on Saturday that project-affected people in Arunachal Pradesh will be compensated handsomely while executing power projects in the state. The governments, both at the Centre and the state level, will take care of the people likely to be affected by power projects, the union Power and New and Renewable Energy told a press conference after the signing of 12 memoranda of agreements (MoAs) between the Arunachal Pradesh government and three central public sector undertakings. "The government will provide compensation to the affected people, which they have not even imagined. Moreover, priority will be given to the locals in jobs and contract work within the jurisdiction of a power project," he categorically said.

Responding to questions from the media on the opposition by various organizations particularly in Dibang Valley district, where five projects were allotted to Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN), alleging that the projects are in violation of fundamental principles, environmental safeguards, and the rights of the indigenous communities, the minister said that all the aspects are being taken care of. "The projects were allotted to independent power developers earlier after observing all formalities and obtaining forest clearance. In many projects, work is even initiated. Where were the organisations at that time? Why did they not oppose?" he questioned.

He said that the projects that remained stalled for various reasons were withdrawn from independent power developers and handed over to CPSUs. "Whatever expenditure incurred by the independent power developers in those projects will be returned by the respective CPSUs without paying any interest," Singh said, cautioning that the present government at the Centre will not give power developers the freedom to sit idle without executing projects after obtaining them. Singh added that after the commissioning of these projects, the annual budget of Arunachal Pradesh and the people’s per capita income would increase manifold. Pointing out that hydropower is a clean energy; the minister informed that hydropower is important for the energy transition. "Electricity is one of the key enablers for achieving the socio-economic development of the country. Economic growth leads to a growth in demand for power. Generation and capacity augmentation are the most vital components for meeting the ever-increasing demand for power to achieve the targeted growth rate," Singh said. He said that the Centre has taken many proactive measures to promote the growth of the power sector, which include grants for enabling infrastructure, flood moderation components, HPO, waiver of ISTS charges, hydroelectric projects, and PSPs.

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