Against SJVN -NTPC merger: CM

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, December 14

The Himachal government was not in favour of merger of Sutlej Jal Vidhyut Nigam (SJVN) with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur gave this statement on a resolution moved by Leader of Opposition Mukesh Agnihotri.

Agnihotri had asked the state government to clarify its position on the merger of the SJVN with the NTPC.

The Chief Minister said that the union government had written to the state government twice regarding the merger of the SJVN with the NTPC. However, the state government has written to the union government against this merger. Its merger with the NTPC was against the interests of the state, the CM said. The Chief Minister said that he had personally spoken to Union Minister for Finance Arun Jaitley over the issue. Despite that if the union government goes ahead with merger, he would ensure the interests of the state were protected.

The Leader of Opposition said that the Himachal government had 26.8 per cent stake in the SJVN. Every year the state government earned revenue of Rs 1,700 crores from the project. The project has reserves of Rs 6,700 crores. The state government should ensure that SJVN was not merged with the NTPC.