Gangtok, Sept. 11: The Sikkim Cabinet sprang a surprise on the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) when it awarded the work of Teesta stages IV and VI to the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and Amalgamated Transpower India Limited (ATPIL). The project was sanctioned under the Build Own and Operate (BOO) system .
Though the administration claimed to have awarded the projects on the basis of competitive bidding and evaluation, rumours of the state government’s growing dissatisfaction over the performance of NHPC, at present initiating the 510 MW Teesta Stage V project at Dikchu, made the rounds.
Senior government officials said: “The fact that NHPC could not deliver any of it’s promises, apart from 12 per cent free power to the state, stood in its way of bagging the dual-stage deal.”
“The Water and Power Consultancy Services (WAPCOS) nod, which, according to its evaluation reports, found the two companies clear winners made them the natural choice,” other officials said.
P.P. Kharel, principal chief-engineer-cum-secretary of the power department, told The Telegraph: “The agreement with these two companies stipulates the generation of 12 per cent free power for Sikkim for 15 years after completion. This will subsequently rise to 15 per cent.”
Two per cent of the gross profit will also be shared with the state government. And once the project is commissioned, 5 to 10 per cent equity share, free of interest, will be given to the administration.
Officials said the projects would reserve 100 per cent of Class III and IV jobs for local residents and will also absorb unemployed engineers and diploma holders in the state. The, companies, however, will seek permission of the state administration to get labourers from outside the state if necessary.
The project, with a combined power generation potential of 855 MW, will take 80 months to complete.With the completion of the six stages of the Teesta hydro electric power projects, Sikkim will become one of the largest suppliers of power in this region, generating 3, 635 MW of power.
This will substantially increase the revenue earning of the state treasury, officials said.
