Two hydropower projects worth significant generation capacity — Luhri and Sunni — could soon shift from central control to state hands, as the Chief Minister's Office of Himachal Pradesh issued fresh directives on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, ordering officials to accelerate efforts to take both projects back from SJVN Ltd. The same set of orders pushed for faster construction of a 66 kV transmission line running from Pooh to Samdo and onward to Kaza — a critical power evacuation corridor deep in the Spiti valley.

Two Projects, One Political Priority: Reclaiming Assets from SJVN

The directives, posted on the official CMO account, instructed authorities to 'intensify efforts' — प्रयास तेज करने के निर्देश — to bring the Luhri and Sunni hydroelectric projects under state control from SJVN Ltd, a central public sector undertaking that has long operated across Himachal's river valleys. Both projects are sited on or near the Satluj river in Himachal Pradesh. The move fits a pattern stretching back years: state governments in Shimla have periodically pushed to review project allotments made to central PSUs, arguing that Himachal's rivers should generate revenue and jobs for Himachal first.

SJVN Ltd, headquartered in Shimla, is one of India's major hydropower developers and has been associated with both the Luhri and Sunni projects for several years. Any formal transfer of project ownership would require negotiation between the state utility and the central PSU — a process that is rarely swift. The CMO's public directive signals political intent and creates accountability pressure on the bureaucracy to deliver visible movement.

The Pooh–Samdo–Kaza Transmission Corridor

The second directive is equally consequential for the residents of the Lahaul and Spiti district. The 66 kV transmission line under construction — running from Pooh in Kinnaur district through Samdo to Kaza, the headquarters of Spiti subdivision — is designed to bring reliable, high-capacity power to one of India's most remote and climatically harsh regions. The CMO ordered that construction be accelerated: 'निर्माण कार्य में तेजी लाएं' ('speed up the construction work').

Kaza sits at over 3,800 metres above sea level. Winters are brutal and power outages costly. A dedicated 66 kV backbone would replace the patchwork of lower-capacity lines that currently serve the valley and enable any future renewable or hydro generation in the region to actually reach the grid. For the sparse population of Spiti, faster construction is not a bureaucratic milestone — it is a quality-of-life issue measured in heating, lighting, and connectivity through months of snowbound isolation.

State vs Centre: The Long Game Over Himalayan Rivers

Himachal Pradesh contributes disproportionately to India's hydropower capacity yet has repeatedly clashed with central agencies over the share of revenue, royalty rates, and direct control of projects on its rivers. The push to reclaim Luhri and Sunni is the latest move in that decades-old tug-of-war. The state's argument is structural: central PSUs extract value from Himalayan rivers while local communities bear the environmental and displacement costs. Whether the current push produces a formal transfer notification — or remains a directive on paper — will be the real test of its seriousness.

Watch for formal communications from the state power department to SJVN, and physical progress milestones on the Pooh–Kaza transmission corridor, in the months ahead.