Uttarakhand government approves 25-year power procurement from Adani Power

Dehradun, The Uttarakhand Cabinet on Tuesday approved a 25-year power purchase agreement for 1,320 MW of coal-based electricity from Adani Power Limited at Rs 5.746 per unit.

Briefing reporters after the cabinet meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami, State Director General (Information) Banshidhar Tiwari stated that the Cabinet approved the proposal submitted by Uttarakhand Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) to procure 1,320 MW of coal-based power from Adani Power Limited, the lowest bidder, to ensure energy security and reliable power supply.

The cabinet also authorised UPCL to sign a power supply agreement (PSA) with the company, fulfil necessary conditions, and obtain statutory approval from the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC), he added.

Tiwari explained that a coal block had been allocated to Uttarakhand in Chhattisgarh, where Adani Power is setting up a 1,320 MW capacity power plant. The state will receive 1,320 MW of power from this plant from the 2029-30 financial year.

He further stated that the state cabinet agreed to a proposal to lease one acre of land, out of the 65 acres belonging to the Government Medical College in Haridwar, to the central government for 99 years at an annual lease rent of Re 1 to establish a branch of the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) in Uttarakhand.

Tiwari also informed that the construction of 116 housing units in the Kathbangla area has been completed with the aim of systematically relocating slum settlements that had sprung up illegally along riverbanks in the state's urban local bodies.

The state cabinet also cleared a proposal to allocate these housing units to beneficiaries selected by the Dehradun Municipal Corporation from families residing in the slum settlement along the banks of the Rispana River.

He stated that, in line with the Chief Minister's announcement regarding the establishment of a dedicated cell to facilitate access to various state government schemes for returning 'Agniveers' upon completion of their service, the cabinet approved the proposal along with the creation of six contractual posts for the cell.

Additionally, in another decision, the cabinet approved a proposal to install statues of the state's martyred soldiers in their respective native villages.

Tiwari mentioned that during the meeting, the chief minister also directed that the electric vehicle (EV) policies of various states be studied and a new EV policy be formulated for the state.