State allots land to MSEDCL free of cost

NASHIK: The state government has partially overruled the resolution of the Nashik Municipal Corporation (NMC)'s standing committee that it would give land to the state power utility for construction of sub-stations ahead of Kumbh Mela only if the company made some payment.
Deputy collector (Kumbh Mela cell, Nashik) Uday Kisve said the office had received a communication from the state government about providing land to the power utility."Maharashtra Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) had sought three pieces of land free of cost to raise its infrastructure for the Kumbh Mela. The NMC had, however, cut down the number of spaces from three to two and also sought some payment against it. But the government communication says that it has partially struck down the resolution of the standing committee, allowing the land to be transferred but without payment," he added.
The high power committee on Kumbh mela, chaired by chief secretary Swadhin Kshatriya, had met on August 11 and announced the decision to ensure that the power utility got the land free of cost as the sub-stations set up for Kumbh Mela would be part of the city's permanent infrastructure.
The two sub-stations are being constructed in the heart of the city and there is no provision as temporary arrangement. The facilities will continue to be part of the city's infrastructure to provide power service even after Kumbh Mela.
The committee had said it was in the citizens' interest that the sub-stations were allotted land free of cost.
The MSEDCL had proposed three sub-stations at Rs 25.41 crore that would help the utility to provide power supply to the city during Kumbh Mela in 2015. These sub-stations would be taken into loop with the city's existing infrastructure and was expected to add and improve the quality of power supply in the region. It had finalised plots in the Tapovan, Amar Dham and Ganeshwadi areas.
The additional power demand for Kumbh Mela is 30 MVA and hence 10 MVA sub-stations were planned in each area. Since the NMC has denied transfer of land at Amar Dham, the MSEDCL decided to construct a 20 MVA sub-station at Ganeshwadi and a 10 MVA sub-station at Tapovan for better power management.
After the NMC first refused to give land adjacent to Amar Dham, the company revised its proposal saying it would raise only two power sub-stations but increase the power of one of the facilities.
Two plots were identified for the sub-stations. One plot measuring 2,000 sq m and valued at Rs 1.32 crore is located at Tapovan. The other plot, measuring 1,000 sq, m is located at Ganeshwadi Sewage Pumping Station and is worth Rs 50 lakh.