Lauding the recent amendments in state hydropower policy, the Himachal Hydro Power Developer’s Association demand rationalisation of the royalty which has been deferred.
Addressing media persons on Friday Bonafide Himachal Hydro Power Developer’s Association president Rajesh K Sharma termed the recent amendments in the state hydro policy by the state government a much-needed respite to the hydropower developers.
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The association maintained that in the neighboring states like Uttarakhand there is no royalty for the first 15 years and after 18 percent flat against 0 to 12 years than 22 percent for 18 years and 34 percent of the rest of the life.
“We had demanded that the state hydropower policy should be at par with the National Hydro Power policy or on the pattern of Uttarakhand,” said Sharma.
HP was having the highest royalty rates, transmission charges, open access charges and lowest tariff rates in the country, he said, adding that apart from these bottlenecks control periods of the tariff was being regulated from the date of Implementing Agreement (IA), these norms were against the National Power policy and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CREC)
regulations.
To remove the ambiguities in power policy norms a committee was constituted by previous Congress government to look into these aspects, but however, due to early election code of conduct the same could not materialise, he said.