ANI
The court’s decision comes after the Sukhu government ignored previous orders to repay Rs 64 crore, which has now increased to around Rs 150 crore due to interest.
The Himachal Pradesh High Court issued an order to attach Himachal Bhavan in Delhi after the Congress-led Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu government failed to pay electricity dues worth nearly Rs 150 crore. Himachal Bhawan is located at Mandi House in the national capital. The court has also directed the Principal Secretary of the Electricity Department to conduct a fact-finding investigation to identify the officials responsible for the negligence which led to this situation.
The court’s decision comes after the Sukhu government ignored previous orders to repay Rs 64 crore, which has now increased to around Rs 150 crore due to interest. Sources said that the matter is related to the 400 MW Seli Hydro Project on Chenab River in Lahaul-Spiti. In the earlier proceedings, the government was ordered to return Rs 64 crore deposited by the company and 7 percent interest. The court had earlier warned the government that non-payment of dues would have serious consequences. It also emphasized that the money involved was from the state treasury.
On the news of Himachal Pradesh High Court attaching Himachal Bhawan in Delhi, Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu said that I have not read the order of the High Court but the advance premium is based on a policy under which when the energy policy was made in 2006 So, I was the chief architect. We had kept a reserve price per MW, on which the companies had bid. The case of advance premium was decided by arbitration. He said that our government went to the High Court against the arbitration order and the government had to deposit Rs 64 crore in the arbitration. I have taken information in this regard and we will study about this type of order.
