*Planned last year, 6 projects for Kishtwar still at bidding stage
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 24: Contrary to the tall claims of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government about giving necessary impetus to small and mini hydel projects, the dilly-dallying approach towards fast-tracking of approvals and clearance of impediments in the way of development of such projects is still persisting as a result of which several projects, which were planned long back, are still remaining on papers.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that keeping in view the difficulties being faced in according timely approvals to the small and mini-hydel projects, which fall under the domain of Science and Technology Department, the Government vide Order No.1002-GAD dated September 20, 2016 constituted an Advisory Committee for fast tracking the approvals/clearances for development of such projects.
The Advisory Committee headed by Financial Commissioner, Planning, Development and Monitoring Department and comprising of Administrative Secretaries of Power Development, Public Works, Science and Technology, Forest, Revenue, PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control and Animal and Sheep Husbandry Departments was assigned the task of according requisite approval/clearances for the development of projects by the Science and Technology Department through a single window system.
It was explicitly mentioned in the order issued by the then Commissioner/Secretary to Government, General Administration Department that the Advisory Committee shall meet every month or even earlier as is required for according requisite approval for the development of projects and shall set a definite time period within which all the approvals and clearances are provided to the projects, sources said.
Moreover, facilitating removal of the impediments being faced by the developers/ department in the projects execution circle was also reflected as mandate of the Advisory Committee, which was even given the liberty to co-opt the Deputy Commissioner of the concerned district where the small hydel project is proposed to be located.
Following constitution of Advisory Committee, a specially constituted cell in the Science and Technology Department prepared agenda highlighting the projects which need immediate approval and clearance for development as also the impediments in the projects being already executed and submitted the same to the committee of eight Administrative Secretaries for final decision.
However, the Advisory Committee has not met till date despite the fact that it was supposed to meet every month or even earlier to clear the agenda, sources regretted, adding “it is astonishing that a committee of eight Administrative Secretaries has not paid any serious attention towards meeting the objective behind its creation”.
“What is the fun of specifying the time-frame for the meeting(s) of the important committees of the bureaucrats if the time-line is not to be adhered strictly”, sources asked, adding “the agenda which the Science and Technology Department has submitted to the Advisory Committee pertains to development of new projects and removal of impediments in already allotted projects”.
Quoting another example of dilly-dallying approach, sources said that six mini-hydel projects with a total capacity of 12 Mega Watts, which were announced for Kishtwar district last year, are still at bidding stage.
The department had announced to set up projects at Inderwal, Godana, Kanoor, Naigarh, Nantoo, Mullar, Dadpath, Chatroo and Afani with aggregated capacity of 2 MWs each. It was stated at that time that the projects will be set up on Independent Power Producer (IPP) mode for a period of 40 years and process for allotting the works was initiated through competitive bidding.
However, these projects are still at the stage of Request for Quotation (RFQ), whose purpose is to invite suppliers into a bidding process, sources said, adding following this stage these six projects will have to go through the Request for Proposal (RFP) stage and thereafter formal allotments will be made by the Science and Technology Department.
“This clearly indicates that at present no time-frame can be specified for the start of work on these six mini-hydel projects”, sources said, adding “going by the pace of meeting the procedural formalities when the Government would be able to tap the potential for small and mini-hydel projects on the pattern of adjoining state of Himachal Pradesh remains a million dollar question”.
When contacted, an officer of the Science and Technology Department, on the condition of anonymity, said, “the Advisory Committee has not met so far and hopefully following opening of Civil Secretariat at Jammu its meeting would be convened”. “There are several important issues which are to be deliberated upon by the Advisory Committee before taking decision”, he added.
About six mini-hydel projects for Kishtwar, he said, “we still have a long way to go for formal allotment of the projects for execution under Independent Power Producer (IPP) policy”.
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