S Gopal Puri
KANGRA:
Former Himachal Pradesh Industry Minister Bikram Thakur has strongly criticised the Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu-led Congress government, alleging serious corruption and mismanagement in the Pekhubela solar power project in Una district.
Bikram Thakur, who is a BJP MLA from Jaswan Pragpur in Kangra district, has claimed that the entire plant had been submerged under water for a week due to a faulty site plan and poor construction, causing extensive damage to the machinery. “This project was built in a water-prone area. We had warned the government earlier, but no action was taken. Now, the whole plant is under water and all major machines are damaged,” he said.
Incidentally, the Pekhubela solar power project had hogged the limelight recently following the death of Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited Chief Engineer Vimal Negi, whose body was recovered under mysterious circumstances from the Gobind Sagar lake in Bilaspur.
BJP leader alleges faulty site work by plant construction company
The senior BJP leader said the solar plant was flooded on August 2 after heavy rains in Una. “The project site should have been raised to at least 356 metres above sea level, but no ground filling was done, making it highly vulnerable to flooding. Due to the flooding, 10 inverters and other critical equipment are now damaged. Water entered the control room, halting all operations,” said Bikram Thakur, blaming the company handling the project for not building any drainage system.
He said drainage help had to be taken from a nearby IOCL plant. “The plant is completely shut down. This could have been avoided if the site was properly selected and drainage was planned,” he said.
Asks why 99% of payments were cleared so early to company
Bikram Thakur revealed that the plant construction company was responsible for the plant’s operation and maintenance for eight years, but it withdrew from the contract on June 14, 2025. “After this, four out of 10 inverters stopped working, reducing the plant’s power production from 32 MW to just 16 MW,” he said..
The former minister questioned why the government cleared 99 per cent of the contractor’s payment despite the poor quality of work and the company’s exit. He also raised concerns over the missing bank guarantee, which was mandatory in such contracts to recover losses in case of failure.
Cost doubled, no accountability, ex-minister demands probe
Bikram Thakur alleged that the project that should have been completed at a cost of Rs 100 crore was instead completed at Rs 240 crore, with no explanation for the inflated expenses. “We ask Chief Minister Sukhvinder Sukhu why were 99 per cent of the payments cleared so early to the company? Why was the plant built in a flood-prone area? Why was there no drainage system?” he asked.
The former minister also linked the death of former Chief Engineer Vimal Negi to irregularities in the project, stating that the plant was rushed to completion despite repeated warnings. He accused the government of hiding facts and demanded that an independent agency investigate the matter.
“This is not just negligence but clear corruption. Officials responsible must be held accountable. We will continue to raise this issue until there is justice,” said Bikram Thakur.
