Due to the continuous efforts in the meetings of power consultation committee the then Energy Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde had approved the proposal of Reliance Ultra Mega Power Project of 3,960 MW to be established in Hazaribagh district of Jharkhand. In 2009 Reliance had made an agreement with the Government to give electricity at the rate of Rs1.77 per unit. The recent decision of Reliance Company is a loss to both Jharkhand State and especially to Hazaribagh district, said former MP Bhuvaneshwar Prasad Mehta at Hazaribagh.
Mehta said that this project was going to provide livelihood to about 25,000 families of Barhi and Barkattha blocks of Hazaribagh district and Jaynagar block of Koderma district. The executive council member of CPI Mehta said that Yashwant Sinha, who represented Hazaribagh in parliament from 2009 to 2014 and his son Jayant Sinha who is presently representing this seat, should tell the people what they have done for this project.
Jharkhand which is facing power shortage since its inception will have to suffer more now because as per the agreement made at his time the state was to get 400 MW power from this project. The decision of Reliance Power to cancel this project is actually due to the weaknesses of State Government. The Chief Secretary is trying to save the face but everyone knows the fact that in last six months not a single inch land has been acquired for this project.
Things have not changed yet. In last six years the state government has not arranged any piece of land for this project. The fact is that despite center’s clearance the state government has yet not transferred the forest land to the company. Calling the entire episode unfortunate Mehta said that the company has made an agreement with MP government at that time where production has already been started, but here not a single brick has been added, which forced the company to take such decision.
Mehta said that now the central government should come forward and start talks with the Reliance Power to reconsider the decision because it is not only beneficial for the state but also for the general people of both Hazaribagh and Koderma districts. On the other hand Congressmen of Barhi sub-division has also criticized the decision of cancellation of proposed Reliance Ultra Mega Power Plant and appealed to all the people’s representatives of the state to talk with the government and the company breaking their party line so that the people of Jharkhand and Hazaribagh-Koderma could get electricity and livelihood.