Kishau project: Congress govt protected HP’s interest, says CM

Himachal would receive benefits of around ₹1,500 crore without any additional investment, while Uttarakhand would have to invest around ₹3,000 crore to generate a similar amount, says Sukhu

Referring to the Kishau multipurpose dam project, chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu on Thursday said the Congress government had firmly worked to protect the interests of Himachal Pradesh and that the credit for the agreement also went to the people of the state and the state government.

Himachal chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu

Addressing a public meeting at Rail in the Nadaun assembly constituency of Hamirpur district, Sukhu said BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Jai Ram Thakur should seek clarity from Uttarakhand regarding its concerns over the project.

He said that under the Kishau project, Himachal would receive benefits of around ₹1,500 crore without any additional investment, while Uttarakhand would have to invest around ₹3,000 crore to generate a similar amount. “The cost of the project, which was estimated at around ₹800 crore five years ago, has now increased to between ₹3,000 crore and ₹5,000 crore. A larger area of land in Uttarakhand is also being affected by the project,” Sukhu said.

Meanwhile, the CM inaugurated a public health camp at Rail and participated in a plantation drive. He also inaugurated a primary health centre and laid the foundation stones for a few projects.

“The previous BJP government had agreed to a contribution of around ₹800 crore, but the present state government refused to accept such a burden. As a result, the estimated liability of around ₹2,000 crore has been shifted to the beneficiary states of Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana,” Kumar added.

Six states — Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh — signed the Kishau agreement this week. The Kishau project envisages the construction of a 232.6-metre-high concrete gravity dam on the Tons River.