Along with the Union minister of State (independent charge) for Power and New and Renewable Energy, RK Singh, chief minister Trivendra Singh Rawat unveiled foundation for undergrounding of power lines at a cost of about Rs 200 crore in the Kumbh Mela area of Haridwar on Friday. The work is being executed under the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS). This will be really good from security point of view.
Speaking on the occasion, Singh credited Rawat and cabinet minister Madan Kaushik for the progress in the work of undergrounding power cables in Haridwar. He further said that Haridwar is the second town in the country where this work is being undertaken. Stating that Haridwar is a global centre of faith, he said that laying the power lines underground will help decrease electricity loss, minimise faults and enable widening of the roads.
He announced that funds will be released in phases for this project which has a total cost of Rs 600 crore.
He said that Rs 200 crore has already been approved while another Rs 200 crore will be approved later this year and the remaining Rs 200 crore will be released next year. Singh further announced that Rs 10 crore will be provided under CSR for developmental works in Haridwar which can be spent by the CM on various schemes.
Addressing the gathering on the occasion, the CM said that after Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh, Haridwar was the second city in India where the power lines are being laid underground.
This work will also be started in Dehradun in the near future, he added. Rawat also announced Rs 10 crore for science and Yoga park in Haridwar.
Cabinet Minister Madan Kaushik, Haridwar MP and former CM Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank and the BJP State president Ajay Bhatt also expressed their views on the occasion.