Hydel projects to be a focus of PM Modi’s Himachal visit

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 26

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate or lay the foundation stone of hydropower projects worth over Rs 11,000 crore during his visit to Himachal Pradesh on Monday, said an official news release.

Of this, a project worth Rs 2,000 crore will be inaugurated while foundation stones will be laid for three projects worth about Rs 9,000 crore.

The PM will lay the foundation stone of Renukaji Dam project, pending for around three decades, due to a Centre-led initiative to get the concurrence of six states — Himachal, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Delhi. The Rs 7,000-crore 40 MW project will bring water to Delhi as well. He will also lay the foundation stone of two more hydel projects—Luhri Stage 1 and Dhaulasidh in Hamirpur district.

The PM will inaugurate the Sawra-Kuddu Hydel project built at a cost of around Rs 2,080 crore.

He will also preside over the second ground breaking ceremony of Himachal Pradesh Global Investors’ Meet which is expected to give a boost to investment in the region through the start of projects worth around Rs 28,000 crore, added the official news release.

“The PM has constantly focussed on fully utilising the untapped potential of the resources available in the country. One of the steps has been to utilise optimally the hydropower potential in the Himalayan region. The projects which will be inaugurated and whose foundation stone will be laid by the PM during the visit reflect a key step in this direction,” said the release.