Himachal Pradesh government will take back power projects that do not comply with the state’s condition of 12 per cent, 18 percent and 30 per cent power royalties on power generated.

He alleged that the previous BJP government of former CM Jai Ram Thakur had sold the interests of Himachal in the MoU signed with hydropower projects.

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He said that the 12 per cent free power received as royalty in the MoU signed during the previous government for Luhri, Sunni and Duggar hydropower projects had been abolished.

“Apart from this, the rules of LADA have also been changed and GST has been waived,” he said while replying to the question of MLA Kewal Singh Pathania during the question hour in the Assembly on Friday.

The Chief Minister said that the foundation stone of the Luhri project was laid by Prime Minister Modi.

“The conditions were changed in the MoU signed for this. Earlier there was a condition of 12 percent free power for the projects. Jai Ram Thakur government changed the rules, which has caused loss to the state,” he said, alleging that the Himachal’s assets are being sold.

Companies set up projects and earn crores of profits and people get nothing and the state has to endure incidents like cloudburst, he claimed. He said that he had recently met Union Energy Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and raised the issue of free power with him.

He said that the government has decided that power projects will have to give 12 per cent, 18 per cent and 30 per cent royalty to the state and after 40 years of operation the projects will belong to Himachal.

The Chief Minister said that this decision of the government has been challenged in the court.

The government has taken this decision and some companies have even agreed to the government’s conditions.

He further said that the battle for LADA and GST is going on and the government has made it clear that it will not let the interests of Himachal be sold under any circumstances and will run these projects according to its terms.

“If the major power companies Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) do not accept these terms, we will take back all the three power projects from them,” he stated.