Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) veteran and Kangra MP Shanta Kumar Monday credited the previous saffron party governments in the state for getting `2,000 crore royalty on hydro power projects built on its rivers.
In a statement issued here, Shanta Kumar said the royalty would go up by `547.5 crore with production beginning at the National Thermal Power Corporation's (NTPC) Kol Dam near Barmana of Mandi district. He said the state would be getting 12% royalty on power production at Kol Dam.
"Credit for the state getting royalty on power projects goes to the people of the state and previous BJP regimes, who for years together, fought with the successive Congress-led Centre governments for their rights," Shanta said.
The former Union Minster said during his second stint as the chief minister of the state in 1990 he had raised the demand of royalty for the state on power projects executed in its territory. "Earlier, there was no provision of royalty on hydro power," he added.
The veteran leader also expressed gratitude to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao for agreeing to the demand which led to Himachal becoming self dependent.
{{/usCountry}}The veteran leader also expressed gratitude to former prime minister PV Narasimha Rao for agreeing to the demand which led to Himachal becoming self dependent.
{{/usCountry}}He said while it cost governments heavily to set up departments for revenue generation, the income in form of royalty came without spending a single penny.