Centre Gets SC Rap

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Tuesday pulled up the Centre for not moving forward on Hydroelectric power projects in Uttarakhand for 18 months and directed it to find an amicable solution to the problem.

The court’s observation came after the Centre submitted that giving the nod to power projects in the state may trigger another disaster like the one witnessed last year and their cumulative effect needs to be studied before allowing them.

“You are not doing anything and 18 months’ time has gone by. There is a knee-jerk reaction on your part,” a Bench of Justice Dipak Misra and Justice U U Lalit said.

“There must be an acceptable solution to the problem as a lot of money has been invested by firms, including PSUs  NTPC, NHPC and Tehri Hydro Development Coporation (THDC),” the court said.