KATHMANDU, Feb 24: The government has warned of scrapping a total of 600 applications for survey license of hydropower projects, including six large scale projects, if the applicants fail to submit necessary documents and application fee on time.
The Department of Electricity Development (DoED) has issued a notice to this effect asking applicants to submit the necessary documents along with the application fee within the next 35 days (starting from February 22).
“The notice is for all applicants who have sought survey license,” said Gokarna Raj Pantha, senior divisional engineer at DoED. “DoED can not process the applications without receiving all the necessary documents and fee.”
According to Pantha, applicants of big hydropower projects such as the 660 megawatts Kali Gandaki II Storage Project, 600 megawatts Seti Storage Project, 500 megawatts Tamor Khola Hydropower project, 425 megawatts Dudhkoshi Hydropower Project, 340 megawatts Uttar Ganga Storage Project and 360 megawatts Mangri Gamgadhi Hydropower Project.
The government has decided to cancel the old applications and seek new applications if the applicants fail to deposit the fee and submit the necessary documents on time.
“The companies have to pay the revised application fee,” said Pantha. The government had revised application fee for all types of hydropower projects in October 2012.
SBS Holding Private Limited, a domestic firm, has applied for the survey license of the Seti Storage Project is based in Doti, said Pantha. Similarly, Hills Dell Group Company has applied for survey license of Tamor Khola Project, Lenus Power Limited for Dudhkoshi, Chilime for Uttar Ganga and Lanco Infratech Limited, an Indian firm, for Mangri Gamgadhi Hydropower Project. “We will scrap the applications if the companies do not deposit survey license fees on time,” Pantha said.
The government took the decision to scrap applications as the companies have not contacted DoED for five years after applying for survey license. “Most of the companies had applied for survey license in 2005 and 2006,” Pantha said.
The decision to issue the notice to applicants was taken by the Ministry of Energy, said Pantha.
Large scale projects that received warning:
– 660 MW Kaligandaki II Storage Project
– 600 MW Seti Storage Project
– 500 MW Tamor Khola Hydropower Project
– 425 MW Dudhkoshi Hydropower Project
– 340 MW Uttar Ganga Storage Project
– 360 MW Mangri Gamgadhi Hydropower Project
Source : Republica
