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Cut interest rate on loans provided through PEC and REC: Jai Ram Thakur urges Centre
The chief minister also urged the Union minister RK Singh to provide a loan worth ₹540 crore to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board for clearing its liabilities
Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Friday urged the Centre to lower the interest rates on loans being provided to the state through Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) or Power Finance Corporation (PFC).
He was addressing a meeting of power ministers of the states through video conference.
The chief minister also urged the Union minister of state for power RK Singh to provide a loan worth ₹540 crore to Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board through PFC/REC for clearing its liabilities for March and April.
He also sought a grant of ₹350 crore for the state electricity board. CM also expressed gratitude to the Union minister for taking into consideration the liquidity of distribution companies (discoms) and a decision to infuse liquidity worth ₹90,000 crore.
He said that discom and HPSEBL have already made pending payments up to March. However, liabilities worth ₹540 crore for March and April were pending, he added.
Thakur said that the state government provided relief of ₹47 crore to the industries and hotel units for the lockdown period by deferring the demand charges and waivers. He said that the government also deferred the bill payments to provide relief to consumers.
“Power demand due to the lockdown fell by 40% to 45% resulting in a loss of about ₹319 crore to the HPSEBL,” said Thakur.
Thakur added that the state government has proposed to install about 1.52 lakh smart electricity meters in Shimla and Dharamshala towns in the coming years.
He said that although the Union government has a provision of providing a fixed grant for special category states like Himachal, it should be fixed as per the actual cost so as to put a minimum burden on about 22 lakh consumers.
CM said that last year the state government allocated 778 MW project to SJVNL, 499 MW project to NTPC and 520 MW project to NTPC for execution on Chenab Basin.
He said that SJVNL and the Himachal government were also planning to set up 1,000 MW solar power mega park in Kaza and this would require a proper and effective mechanism for power evacuation. He said that the state government has already written a letter in this regard to the Union power secretary.
Union minister RK Singh assured the Cm that the Centre would sympathetically consider all the genuine demands of the state government. He assured that steps would be taken to evolve a mechanism for power evacuation from the far-flung areas.
