Shimla, Apr 10,
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh and Technical Education Minister Rajesh Dharmani on Wednesday strongly condemned allegations levelled by the BJP regarding the Pekhubela Solar Power Project in Una district. They accused BJP leaders of misleading the public with “baseless, daily statements” and attempting to tarnish the image of the state government without any factual basis.
Responding to recent remarks by BJP MLA Bikram Thakur, the ministers asserted that Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu had already addressed the matter in the Vidhan Sabha and presented all relevant documents. “No matter how many times a lie is repeated, it does not become the truth,” they stated, dismissing the opposition’s claims.
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Drawing a detailed comparison with Gujarat’s Lakadia Solar Power Project, often cited by critics, the ministers highlighted that the 32 MW Pekhubela project is technologically and structurally superior. “The Lakadia project, awarded in June 2022 at ₹215.79 crore, is still incomplete despite a 30-month timeline. Its estimated cost was ₹140 crore with a DC capacity of 38.05 MW,” they said.
“In contrast, Pekhubela, awarded in May 2023 for ₹220 crore, was completed within just six months and offers a higher DC capacity of 45.05 MW,” they added.
The ministers further underscored that the Himachal Pradesh project includes an eight-year Operation & Maintenance (O&M) contract within the project cost, whereas Lakadia includes only five years. Pekhubela also guarantees annual power generation of 20.66 lakh units, slightly higher than Lakadia’s 20.14 lakh units.
In the event of performance shortfalls, the Pekhubela developer is liable to a penalty of ₹3.71 per unit— a clause absent from the Lakadia contract. Additionally, the bank guarantee for Pekhubela is 10 percent, compared to 5 percent for Lakadia. The transmission system in Himachal is also stronger, with a 132 kV setup compared to Lakadia’s 66 kV.
“These technical, economic, and performance-related factors clearly show that the Pekhubela project is not only cost-efficient but also more advanced,” the ministers said.
They alleged that the opposition BJP is uneasy following the Congress party’s consolidation of support from 40 MLAs and is now resorting to misinformation campaigns to discredit the government.
Notably, BJP leader and former minister Bikram Singh Thakur had earlier alleged financial irregularities in the project, comparing it unfavorably to Lakadia, which reportedly cost ₹144 crore for a 35 MW capacity. At the time, the state government had not issued a detailed response, fuelling further controversy.
Adding another layer to the issue, Suneel Grover, patron of the All India Power Engineers Federation, has submitted an affidavit to Additional Chief Secretary Onkar Chand Sharma—who is conducting a probe into the death of officer Negi—alleging large-scale corruption in the Pekhubela project implemented by HPPCL.
Also read:AIPEF demands dismissal and arrest over Chief Engineer’s suicide
Grover claimed that while tenders were issued in March 2023, the cost of Solar PV modules had dropped by 20% by mid-May and by as much as 50% within two weeks thereafter. He alleged that HPPCL failed to negotiate lower rates despite the falling market prices.
With Wednesday’s detailed rebuttal, the state government seeks to silence its critics and reaffirm confidence in its infrastructure and clean energy initiatives.
