Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has directed the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to expedite work on the 800 MW Kol Dam project and ensure that it was commissioned by the target date. He also urged to adopt Jawahar Lal Nehru Government Engineering College, Sundernagar, so that it could come up as a centre of excellence. Interacting with the visiting chairman-cum-managing director of NTPC, R.S.Sharma, the Chief Minister said Kol Dam had to pass through a number of hurdles before it could be allotted to the corporation. He said he had visited the project site to take a stock of the progress of project and was satisfied with it. He urged the corporation to complete the project at the earliest to help meet the increasing demand of power. Dhumal said there were a few clearances and modalities to be obtained and completed by the NTPC, which needed to be accorded top priority so that the project did not suffer. Chairman-cum-managing director R.S.Sharma of the corporation, apprised the Chief Minister of the progress and raised some of the issues pending with the state government. He said the Kol Dam reservoir work would be completed by the end of next calendar year. He urged the Chief Minister to settle the re-demarcation of the land falling in the dam area.