Power shortage is a common phenomenon with almost all developing countries. Even in developed countries, emphasis is on conserving power. That is the reason why developed countries have laid equal emphasis on alternative sources of energy.
However, our State has not been taking the options into consideration as it should and depends entirely on hydro power as the only source. Naturally, we have no alternative to hydropower energy. Whenever there appears a snag, there is total shutdown. At one point of time the State talked loudly of solar energy. But it was only a talk and nothing in practice except for Ladakh where solar energy has been tapped partially. For the rest of the State, the situation is what it has been. We know that the Government wants to develop many smaller hydropower generating units since we have the water resources. But the point is of tapping alternative sources of energy.
In 2013, the Union Ministry of Coal allotted a coal block at Kundanli-Luburi area in Odisha to Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) for a period of 25 years. This block was allocated on the recommendations of the Inter-Ministerial Committee and under auction by competitive bidding. This was for the first time that a coal block was allotted to the J&K. As the State did not have the expertise in the generating of thermal power, therefore, on the advice of the Coal Ministry, this coal block having geological reserve of 130 and 266 Million Tonnes respectively, was allocated to JKSPDC by exploration jointly with National Thermal Power Corporation Limited, the most experienced agency in its field in the country. The Coal Ministry had explicitly told the Jammu and Kashmir Government that all prerequisites with regard to formulation of Joint Venture Company (JVC) by the joint allottees shall be completed as expeditiously as possible so that work on exploration is started in a time-bound manner.
Keeping in mind the acute shortage of power in the State, especially in the winter zone of the State, the Government should have held the opportunity by teeth and proceeded to set up the thermal power production units in shortest possible time. Contrary to expectation, the State Government treated the matter most casually leaving it to be tossed from one table to another in the bureaucratic realm. State Government engaged M/s SBICAPS, country’s largest domestic investment bank offering the entire gamut of investment banking and corporate advisory services, for analysis of various options and making suggestions with regard to location of end use plant. In its report M/s SBICAPS, mentioned coal availability of 3.40 million tonnes per annum and the installed capacity was worked out at 660 MW. This was a boon keeping in mind the needs of the State. The parties agreed on Joint Venture Company formula between Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) with an equity stake of 33:67 respectively.
After travelling all this distance in the matter, the State Government adopted its usual lackadaisical attitude and got trapped in offical intricacies that would not allow expeditious finalization of the matter and beginning of the prestigious enterprise. A year and half has gone by and there is not even the smallest movement in starting the project. The State continues to suffer for want of power. Lack of interest at the level of State Power Development Corporation is clearly reflected when this story is told.
We are at a loss to understand why the State Government is soft-paddling on the subject when we are in the throes of power deficit in the State. These projects take their own time. At least two to three years would be needed for exploration and logistics of the project. Another three years will be needed to set up the structures to make the project functional. It means that if the Government starts work on the project today, it will become functional after six years to say the least. But the long range benefit of the project has to be kept in mind. It will be big loss to lose this project because it was for 25 years and 660 MW of power would give great relief to the people of the State.
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