Members should knock door of CBI or ED to seek probe over corruption allegations in the Pekhubala PP: CM
Old photo of assembly. Used for indicative purpose only
Shimla, Aug 25,
The Himachal Pradesh Assembly on Monday witnessed a stormy debate over the Pekhubala Power Project, with allegations of corruption and mismanagement flying thick across the House. The issue was raised by senior BJP leader and MLA Bikram Singh under Rule 163, who accused the government of shielding irregularities, while Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu rejected the charge, asserting that the project was already under scrutiny by the CBI and pending before the High Court.
Bikram Singh argued that the project, originally envisaged as part of the Green Revolution, had failed to meet its objectives. He claimed that despite being a 32 MW plant, it had never achieved full capacity, and on August 2, 2025, heavy rains had left the facility submerged, forcing authorities to pump out water using generators. Singh said the contractor engaged for operation and maintenance abandoned the project midway, yet no penalties were imposed despite faulty inverters and mounting losses. He alleged that the project had been amended repeatedly—“15 to 20 times”—to favour contractors, while structural compromises had ignored earlier flood levels, resulting in chronic underperformance. According to him, the project currently generates only 10 to 16 MW instead of its sanctioned 32 MW.
The MLA also voiced concerns over appointments in regulatory bodies, saying that individuals being considered for top posts lacked a clean reputation. He stressed that unless the project’s management was reformed, the farmers it was supposed to benefit would remain deprived.
Countering these claims, Chief Minister Sukhu said the MLA had developed “a phobia of Pekhubala” and that it was incorrect to say the project remained under water. He clarified that solar panels at the site were still operational and power generation continued. He added that the Detailed Project Report had been cleared by a central agency and not by the state government. Sukhu also disclosed that the government had withheld nearly Rs 44 to Rs 50 crore in security guarantees and dues of the company and expressed confidence that the state would prevail if the matter went to arbitration, citing previous successes in similar cases.
“Members should knock on the doors of the CBI or ED. Once an FIR is registered, raids can be conducted on HPPCL and the company. But it is unfair to blame the government on the basis of hearsay,” he remarked.
The Chief Minister went further to say that if members had any credible documents pointing to corruption, they should hand them over to investigating agencies.
He also pointed out that the matter was already under CBI probe following a complaint in the matter of death of Chief Engineer Vimal Negi and that it was simultaneously being heard by the High Court, making further debate in the House unnecessary.
The Speaker ruled that since the MLA had linked the Pekhubala project with the agricultural system and the Green Revolution, it would be taken up under the agriculture subject rather than as a private member’s resolution. The exchanges reflected how the troubled project has become a political flashpoint, even as its performance and future remain under the scanner of judicial and investigative authorities.
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