Shimla, Sep 21 (IANS): Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur on Wednesday urged the Union government to freeze the input power cost at Rs 2.30 per KWh for the Kishau dam project, proposed across the Tons river, a tributary of Yamuna, located on the border of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh.

He said that this rate would serve the purpose of keeping the power component cost on lower side.

Thakur was participating in a virtual meeting which was chaired by Union Minister of Water Resources, River Development and Ganga Rejuvenation Gajindra Singh Shekhawat.

The Chief Ministers of Himachal, Haryana and Uttarakhand participated in the meeting.

Thakur said that the power generated from this project would be shared equally by Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The Union government has to bear 90 per cent cost of the water component, while the rest by the beneficiary States. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand have requested the Union government to fund 90 per cent cost of the power component also due to limited budget resources of hilly states.

Thakur also urged the Union minister to expedite this case to avoid cost escalation in this project as all the issues related to relief and rehabilitation also have to be borne by Himachal and Uttarakhand.

Union Minister Shekhawat urged the Chief Ministers of all the stakeholder states to ensure effective coordination so that the work on this project of national importance could be taken in hand soon.