CM Pinarayi Vijayan backs private firm’s continued operations of Maniyar hydel plant

The chief minister made the government’s stance clear after former leader of the opposition Ramesh Chennithala raised the matter through a calling attention motion in the assembly on Wednesday.
CM Pinarayi Vijayan backs private firm’s continued operations of Maniyar hydel plant
Updated on
1 min read

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Amid the standoff between the departments of industries and electricity over the Maniyar small hydro electric power plant in Pathanamthitta, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has taken a pro-industry stance that the private company, which presently runs the 14 MW plant, should be allowed to continue with its operations.

The chief minister made the government’s stance clear after former leader of the opposition Ramesh Chennithala raised the matter through a calling attention motion in the assembly on Wednesday.

Chennithala warned that extending the Build Own Operate Transfer (BOOT) contract between the private firm Carborundum Universal Ltd and KSEB will set a precedent for a dozen small hydro power projects in the state. KSEB is keen on taking over the plant after the BOOT contract ended last month.

“There is no difference of opinion between the industries and electricity departments on the matter,” the chief minister said. He added that captive power plants were given permission to allow heavy industries to meet power requirements on their own. Pinarayi said Carborundum had implemented the project well and has also been operating in the state for the past many years.

Earlier, Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty who gave the reply to the calling attention motion had said that a final decision on Maniyar will be favourable to the state’s industrial sector and also to KSEB. However, the chief minister’s clarification that came soon after Krishnankutty’s reply indicated that the government’s policy favoured extension of the BOOT contract with Carborundum.

Related Stories

No stories found.

X
The New Indian Express
www.newindianexpress.com