The BJP has accused the Himachal Pradesh government of a major scam involving the 32 MW solar power plant inaugurated in Pekhuvela, Una district, and demanded an immediate investigation. BJP leader and former minister Vikram Singh Thakur alleged financial irregularities in the project’s cost and warned of a large movement if the government fails to act.
Thakur pointed to significant discrepancies in the cost of the solar power project, which Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu inaugurated on April 15, 2024. The total cost of the plant was reportedly Rs 220 crore, but Thakur compared it to a similar project in Gujarat, which he claims highlights financial mismanagement. He stated that Gujarat completed a 35 MW solar power project for Rs 144 crore, while Himachal’s 32 MW project cost Rs 76 crore more, despite having a lower capacity.
“This massive cost difference suggests serious financial irregularities in the Himachal project,” Thakur said. He further added that the company constructing the Gujarat project has committed to a 10-year maintenance plan, while the Pekhuvela project’s maintenance period is only eight years. “In such a situation, the biggest question is how the cost increased so much,” he remarked.
Thakur also raised concerns over the operational issues at the Pekhuvela solar plant, stating that it was damaged during the recent rainy season and is now operating at only 50% capacity. He warned that at the current rate of Rs 2.90 per unit of electricity, the project would take more than 25 years to recover its cost, while the lifespan of such solar power plants is typically 20 to 25 years.
In a further accusation, Thakur claimed that the Himachal Pradesh government took a loan of Rs 500 crore for this green energy project. “With this amount, four solar power plants could have been built, but instead, the state government has mortgaged the interests of the public and Himachal for personal gain,” he charged.
The BJP has demanded a thorough investigation into the matter and threatened to launch a large-scale protest if the government does not take swift action. The allegations have raised serious questions about transparency and accountability in the state’s green energy initiatives.
