Over 1400 MW remains untapped despite huge expenditure
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Feb 1: Notwithstanding tall claims about initiating steps to make Jammu and Kashmir self-reliant in energy sector, the PDP-BJP Coalition Government has failed to make operational 1400 Mega Watt capacity nine power projects the work on which was initiated several years back. Moreover, Government’s performance on bringing down Transmission and Distribution (T&D) and Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses has remained dismal.
These nine projects are 9 MW Hanu HEP and 9 MW Dah HEP both in Leh district, 37.5 MW Parnai in Poonch, 48 MW Lower Kalnai in Doda, 93 MW New Ganderbal in Ganderbal district, 330 MW Kishanganga in Bandipora district, 850 MW Ratle in Kishtwar, 12.5 MW Mandi in Poonch and 12 MW Bonyar in Baramulla.
The foundation stone of Hanu and Dah projects was laid by the then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on October 14, 2011 and it was officially announced at that time that both the projects will be completed within a period of four years at the cost of Rs 43.61 crore and Rs 41.67 crore respectively by Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation to meet the electricity requirement of Leh district.
Thereafter, keeping in view the importance of these projects, the Power Development Corporation kept Hanu and Dah in the list of prioritized projects and being small ones it was hoped that these would be executed in the shortest possible time. However, these projects have yet not been completed by the Power Development Corporation despite lapse of over six years.
This was also admitted by the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, who is also Minister Incharge Power in the Legislative Assembly today. Both these projects have been shown in the list of nine “under execution projects”.
Interestingly, while presenting Power Budget for 2016-17 Financial Year in the Legislative Assembly in May 2016 at Srinagar, the Finance Minister Dr Haseeb Drabu had announced that major components of Hanu and Dah projects were completed during 2015-16 financial year and these projects will be commissioned by ending 2016-17.
Similar is the fate of 48 Mega Watt Lower Kalnai Hydroelectric Project on Kalnai Nullah, a tributary of River Chenab in Doda district. This project was awarded on September 12, 2013 and it was to be completed by September 30, 2017. But this project has also been shown in the list of ‘under execution projects”.
Having capacity to generate 37.5 MW of electricity, the Parnai Hydroelectric Project coming up in Poonch was targeted to be completed during 2017 but non-completion of work on it has proved the statements of the Government on making J&K self-reliant in electricity as hollow. Even no new date of its completion has been fixed by the Government so far.
Likewise, nobody knows when 93 MW New Ganderbal project will be made operational despite the fact that it was conceived several decades back. “Letter of Authority issued in favour of M/s Hindustan Construction Corporation (HCC) has not been signed yet as the company has not furnished the performance guarantee”, Deputy Chief Minister said in the Assembly.
The fate of 850 MW Ratle Project in Kishtwar is also hanging in balance as the Government has failed to take any decision about its execution even three and half years after its abandoning by M/s GVK Hyderabad. “The project is presently under arbitration”, the Power Minister simply said in response to the question of a Legislator.
What to talk of large project under Independent Power Producer (IPP) category, the Government has failed to complete small projects like 12.5 MA Mandi in Poonch and 12 MW Bonyar in Baramulla. These have also been shown in the list of “under execution projects”.
Had issues creating impediments in the completion of work on these nine projects been resolved timely over 1400 MW of additional power would have been available with the Government.
What to talk of completion of these power projects, the Government’s performance on reducing Transmission and Distribution (T&D) and Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses has also remained dismal.
This can be gauged from the fact that in 2012-13 the T&D losses were 57.40% while as AT&C losses were to the tune of 64.12%. However, during 2017-18 the T&D losses were worked out at 51.20% and AT&C losses at 58.07%. These official figures clearly establish that losses have been reduced by 6% only during the past five years.
Government may consider reduction of 6% in T&D and AT&C losses as major achievement but as per the Government of India and experts the present losses are still at higher side.
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