*Claims of tapping available power potential turn hollow
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 10: Shocking it may sound but it is a fact that more than two years is a very little period for the PDP-BJP Coalition Government to take decision on re-start of a vital power project, which otherwise would have helped the State in marching towards attaining the status of self-reliant in the power sector. Not only the concerned bureaucrats even the Power Minister has not bothered to hold any discussion on this vital subject thereby exposing the tall claims of the present dispensation about laying required focus on tapping available power potential.
This is the tale of 850 Mega Watt Ratle Hydroelectric Project on river Chenab in Kishtwar district, which was supposed to be the first ever power project in Jammu and Kashmir to be completed in a shortest possible time because of varied reasons.
The Ratle project was planned to be developed as a run-of-the river project and this was the first power project in the country which was awarded on tariff based international competitive bidding process for development on Built-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis for a period of 25 years. When the foundation stone of this project was laid by the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh on June 25, 2013, it was stated with much hype that the project would be completed by February 2018.
However, instead of facilitating smooth progress on the project of immense benefit for the State as well as the people of erstwhile Doda district (presently comprising districts of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban), everybody right from the politicians to the bureaucrats always maintained blind eye towards one after another hurdle cropped up in the path of execution of work for obvious reasons, sources told EXCELSIOR.
While politicians particularly of erstwhile Doda district considered this project as ‘milking cow’ to confer undue benefit upon their blue-eyed associates, the concerned bureaucrats never responded positively to the issues brought to their notice by the management of main contractor M/s GVK Power and sub-contractor Larsen and Toubro, they added.
Finally, both the companies abruptly stopped the work on the project on July 11, 2014 for want of smooth atmosphere and formally conveyed the decision to the local administration as well as State Government. “The non-seriousness towards facilitating the resolution of issues confronting the execution of project was notwithstanding the fact that all the investment in the project was to be made by the company only and no Government investment was involved”, sources said.
As the companies expressed reluctance to re-start the work in view of non-cooperation from all the relevant quarters in the State, the present PDP-BJP dispensation after its formulation in the month of March 2015 constituted a committee headed by Financial Commissioner, Planning, Development and Monitoring to suggest future course of action, they said, adding “the hopes about re-start of work on the project which were generated by the PDP-BJP Government by constituting committee were dashed because this panel has not convened even one meeting till date”.
Expressing ignorance about framing of the committee with the task of suggesting mechanism for re-start of work on the abandoned project, Financial Commissioner Planning, Development and Monitoring Department, B B Vyas said, “if I have been made the head of the committee I will certainly hold meeting in the days to come”, adding “if the companies have gone we cannot compel them to come back and resume work”.
“Anyhow, we will make necessary suggestion to the Government”, he further said in response to a question.
Interestingly, Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh, who is also Minister Incharge Power Development Department, has also failed to play his role in arriving at appropriate decision about restart of work on the vital project. “This indicates that two years is a very little period for the PDP-BJP Coalition Government about taking decision on a project of immense importance”, sources remarked.
“The non-serious approach towards this project has completely exposed the tall claims of the present dispensation about initiating adequate steps towards tapping available power potential”, they said, adding “had the timely decision been taken about resumption of work much progress would have been made in the execution of the project and there would not have been any difficulty in meeting the deadline of February 2018”.
They further said, “in the absence of any decision nobody knows whether this project will ever see the light of the day”.
When contacted, Member of Legislative Assembly from Doda, Shakti Raj Parihar expressed concern over delay in decision about resumption of work on the project and said, “Government should not waste any more time and immediately come up with mechanism for execution of project as besides generating power this project would also generate employment for the local youth”.
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