The Union Government is mulling over a proposal to lift the ban that had stopped foreign companies and individuals from certain countries to undertake hydel projects in sensitive border areas in India. The proposal is likely to come up for approval of the Cabinet Committee on Security shortly.
A Cabinet note under circulation has suggested the government should deny visa to only specific foreign individuals or employees of specific companies that need to be watched instead of putting a blanket ban on all foreign firms from countries on the sensitive list by security agencies. The government has incorporated the suggestions in the draft guidelines on participation of foreign companies in work contracts of hydro electric projects in sensitive areas.
According to proposed guidelines, the government may empower ministries or PSUs to decide on the number of foreign workers to be allowed for a particular project. Foreigners working on sensitive projects will, however, remain under the watchful eyes of security agencies in respective states. The non-discriminatory norms will be applicable to all central public sector undertakings, state undertakings and independent power producers.
Based on inputs from security and intelligence agencies, the government earlier considered identifying a negative list of countries that will be barred from participating in any project in sensitive border areas. This could have applied to countries like China, Bangladesh, Pakistan and a few Gulf countries.
Apart from regulating companies under its administrative control, the new guidelines also empower Union Ministry of Power to direct state governments to incorporate certain conditions while allotting sites for hydro electric projects to developer. The projects located in Jammu & Kashmir, North Eastern states, including Sikkim, or within an aerial distance of 50 km on the Indian side of the international border will come under the ambit of new guidelines.
Source : ProjectsToday
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