7 Jan :Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal, Chief Minister held a meeting at Delhi today with the Minister of State for Power Shri Jairam Ramesh and attended by Secretary Power Shri V.S. Sampath, Additional Secretary and Joint Secretaries of the Power, Chief Managing Director, NHPC and CMD NTPC, it was decided that an Engineering College would be jointly set up in Himachal Pradesh by NHPC, NTPC and SJVNL, Hydro engineering would be one of the major streams which would be taught in this college apart from the other traditional courses.
It was decided in the meeting that a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to this effect would be entered into by the State Government with these Public Sector Undertakings at the earliest. The State of Himachal Pradesh is on its way to become the biggest educational hub in the country. The CMD NHPC gave the details of the executions of the projects in the State. The CMD assured the Chief Minister that the scheduled commissioning of Parvati-I and Parvati-III in October 2010 and November 2010 would be adhered to and the concerns of the State on environmental issues and recruitment of local people as per the original MOU would be attended to. The shortfall in employment will be shortly made up.
Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal reminded the Minister of State for Power and the CMD about the inalienable responsibility of the NHPC, NTPC and SJVNL towards the local population, local development and also to absolute implementation of agreed to terms and conditions of the MOU and the statutory direction of the State Government. Minister of State directed the CMDs to meet the concerned officers of the State for sorting out the pending issues with the State Government.
Prof. Prem Kumar Dhumal forcefully advocated the view point of the State on the implementation of Electricity Act 2003 and pleaded that the State should also be treated at par with other States. Detailing out the steps taken by the State and the track record of the HPSEB, the Chief Minister asked the Central Government to treat the case of Himachal Pradesh in the light of the exceptional performance of the HPSEB and the State Government.
The representatives of the Central Government assured the Chief Minister to consider the matter sympathetically.