Friday, Oct 20, 2023 08:30 [IST]
Last Update: Friday, Oct 20, 2023 02:57 [IST]
GANGTOK,: The State cabinet during its meeting on October 17 has directed the Sikkim Vigilance Police to probe into the criminal angle in the 1200 Mw Teesta-III HEP construction and transfer the case to the CBI for taking action.
An IPR release informs that the State cabinet directed the Sikkim Vigilance Police to conduct a comprehensive inquiry to find out whether there is any criminal angle in the whole process of construction of the Teesta-III hydel power project and submit a report for registration of the case and transfer to CBI.
The 1200 Mw project under Sikkim Urja Ltd, where the State government holds 60.08% share, is presently defunct after its dam at Chungthang was washed away during the flash flood on wee hours of October 4.
According to the IPR release, the State cabinet took a decisive step in response to the Teesta-III dam breach, a catastrophic event triggered by a sudden cloud burst and flash flood on October 4.
To address the gravity of the situation and ensure accountability, the cabinet has directed the concerned department to form a high-level committee comprising technical, financial and other relevant subject experts to thoroughly examine the whole Teesta-III HEP episode.
The proposed committee is tasked to examine the allotment process of Teesta-III project keeping in view the credibility, genuineness and technical know-how, financial solvency, etc. of the consortium.
The other tasks are to examine the change in DPR before the allotment of the project vis-a-vis technical and financial aspects; purchase of share by Government of Sikkim/ SPICL and how the valuation of share was ascertained; and award of contract and subcontract by Sikkim Urja Limited (erstwhile Teesta Urja Limited- TUL).
Selling of equity by Athena Projects Pvt. Ltd. to Asian Genco Pvt. Ltd. and others is also to be scrutinized by the committee besides all aspects of the project award, execution, etc., as per the release.
Chief Minister PS Golay, in his recent press meet, had asserted that various financial and technical irregularities and procedural lapses had taken place during the construction of the Rs. 13,965 crore Teesta-III project.
Construction works for Teesta Urja Ltd (now Sikkim Urja Ltd) hydel power project started in 2008 at Chungthang with the plant commissioned only in February 2017. During this period of nine years, the mega power project barely survived the 2011 earthquake, and saw three project cost escalations, finally stopping at Rs. 13,965 crore from the initial cost of Rs. 5,700 crore.
These unilateral escalations by Teesta Urja Ltd, as contended by the Chief Minister, were not in the State’s interests but meant to benefit a few only in the then SDF government and the project developer while the dam’s structural safety was compromised.
