Notice issued to erring firms
Lalit Mohan/TNS
Dharamsala, July 21
As many as 23 power projects in Kangra district have been found to have encroached upon government and forest land.
These have been brought up on land in excess of what was leased out to them for bringing up the power projects.
The matter has come to light during an elaborate exercise carried out by district revenue officials to ascertain the amount of encroachments made by power project owners on government land. In certain cases the power projects have been brought on locations entirely different from the land originally leased out to them.
This has brought project companies in direct confrontation with the local population whose interests, including rights over traditional water sources, have been compromised.
Deputy Commissioner, Kangra, KR Bharti, said district officials had calculated that in case the land on which the power project owners have encroached was leased out to them, they would have to pay about Rs 30 crore to the government.
A notice had been issued to the 23 projects found to have been encroached on the government land to deposit the lease amount as per the government policy. Suitable action would be taken in the matter after reply from the power project owners was received, he said.
As per the documents available with The Tribune, the district administration has issued a notice to Subhash Projects and Marketing Limited (Neogal) in Palampur to deposit Rs 1,52,16,828 as lease amount for the government land encroached by it.
The other power projects that have been issued similar notices are Sri Sai Krishna Hydro Energies Rs 3,78,947, Subhash Projects and Marketing Ltd (Awa) Rs 87,7,1630, Astha Upper (Awa) Rs 1,36,90,331, Vamshi Hydro Private Ltd (Iku) Rs 6,02,03,509, Vamshi Hydro Pvt Ltd (Iku) IInd Rs 25,23,925, Prodigy Hydro Pvt Ltd Rs 1,09,48,280, Sri Sai Krisha Energies Luni-II Rs 52,45,357, Anubhav Hydro Power Pvt Ltd Rs 37,48,860, Sri Sai Krishan Hydro Energies Luni-III Rs 1,04,28,844, KU Hydro Power Pvt Ltd Rs 6,81,749, Dharamsala Hydro Power Pvt Ltd, Manjhi, Rs 61,49,268, Winsame textile Pvt Ltd Manuni-I Rs 42,33,360, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Upper Kholi, Rs 7,15,778, Kangra Hydro Power Ventures Pvt Ltd Rs 1,19,954, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd, Iku, IInd, Rs 1,35,11680, Subhash Hydro Project and Marketing Pvt Ltd Iku IInd, 16, 89,625, Raheja Hydel Power Project Pvt Ltd Rs 61,42,519, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Darini Dhar Rs 19,52,938, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Upper Kholi Rs 1,68071, Sodhi Brothers Hydro Power Pvt Ltd Rs 3,86,971, Vamshi Industrial Pvt Ltd Darini Dhar, 1,03,391 and Om Power Corporation Rs 2,30466,767.
Local sources said the government could regularise the land encroached upon by the power project companies after charging lease money from them along with the fine in general cases. However, in cases where the forest land had been encroached upon, permission would have to be taken from the special empowered committee of the Union Ministry for Environment and Forest.
The recent judgment of the Green Bench of the state high court had taken a serious view of the post facto permission granted to the cement and thermal plant of JP Industries in Solan district.
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120722/himachal.htm#5
