334 to get compensation for Lakhwar, Byasi projects

DEHRADUN: Chief minister Harish Rawat on Wednesday agreed to compensate 334 people as the state would acquire their land, spread over 2,100 square km, for the setting up of the 300 MW Lakhwar multipurpose project and the 120 MW Byasi hydropower project by the Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam (UJVNL) on the Yamuna in Dehradun district.

Managing director SN Verma of UJVNL told TOI that the Lakhwar hydropower project would be a national project - it would cater not only to Uttarakhand's power needs, but also fulfil drinking water and irrigation requirements of five other states -- Delhi, UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and HP. It is being commissioned at a total cost of Rs 3,000 crore, with 90% funding from the central government.

Verma said Lakhwar Dam will be set up at Lohari village, 60 km from Dehradun city. The underground power house has been already built there.

The chief minister took the decision to compensate land owners at a meeting attended by chief secretary N Ravi Shankar, additional chief secretary Rakesh Sharma and power secretary Umakant Pawar. Compensation will be offered as per the maximum circle rate of Rs 26 lakh per hectare.

A senior UJVNL officer said, "Instructions have been issued to the power secretary and other officials to pay compensation to all land owners within the next three months, so construction of these two projects can occur in the stipulated time."

The 120 MW Byasi hydropower project is a purely state-funded project. General manager Rajiv Aggarwal of UJVNL said this project's power house will be set up at Hathiyari village near Dak Patthar, 58 km from Dehradun.

Earlier, the state government had found itself unable to begin construction of these projects as landowners had staunchly resisted the acquisition of their land for this purpose.

TOI