Dushanbe. December 7, 2011, Asia-Plus - The Lower House of parliament of Tajikistan has ratified the before signed in 2007, Memorandum between the Ministry of Energy and Industry of the Republic of Tatarstan, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of India about the reconstruction of the Varzob HPP-1.

As noted in his speech on this issue, First Deputy Minister of Energy and Industry of Tajikistan Pulod Mukhiddinov for reconstruction of  Varzob HPP-1, which was built back in 1936, the Indian side will provide more than $ 17 million in grants.

According to him, the first unit of the above HPP, after the upgrade, will work in April 2012 and the second in June of next year.

" Almost 80 per cent of the necessary equipment is imported into the country and stored in bonded warehouses, and for their exemption from customs duties and delivery to site this memorandum should be ratified," - said Mukhiddinov.

According to him, the power of two hydroelectric units after renovation will increase to two megawatts of hydroelectric power and the total will reach 9.5 megawatts.

To the comments of the speaker of the Lower Chamber of parliament Shukurjon Zuhurov about the fact that the Department of Power Industry  of the Republic tightened the ratification of the Memorandum on for four years, Mukhiddinov replied that "the reason for this are frequently changing plans of the Indian side."