Power supply service in the State has become unfortunate casualty of vested interests. When vested interests get entrenched in the system, it is difficult to purge the society of this malaise. Governor N.N. Vohra, during his short stint, focused attention on the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation and its Board of Directors as the main platform for framing, revising and implementing power policy of the Government. When things had begun to move in the right direction, the coalition Government stepped in for the second time and the strategy chalked by the Governor could not move forward.
The Board of Directors of the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) seldom meets to chalk out broad frame of work for the JKSPDC although in theory it is the main platform from where power policy of the State has to come. The Board has not met for quite some time and vital decisions remain in limbo. Several power projects fall in the domain of the Corporation and stand in need of roadmap of power policy. Finding that the Board had not met since 2014, Governor Vohra had reconstituted it in the month of February this year. Accordingly on March 10, 71st meeting of Board of Directors was convened and Governor was appraised about the progress of various ongoing projects and of Power Corporation’s future road map. After reconstituting the Board of Directors, the Governor had issued clear instructions to the Board about what steps had to be taken to take stock of existing condition of power projects and the possibility of bringing these to completion in time. The coalition Government assumed power and reconstituted the Board only recently but no meeting has been held so far. In the meeting chaired by the Governor, thrust was laid on revising the Corporation’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Policy. He had directed the Power Development Department Secretary to submit a detailed Action Plan for expediting private sector participation in the power sector. Moreover, the Governor had also approved the proposal to form a Joint Venture Company with 76% equity participation of NTPC and 33% by Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation for development of Kudanali-Laburi Coal Block in Odisha. However, the coalition Government paid scant attention to the recommendations of the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir. We understand that vested interests have made deep dent in the Corporation and its Board and are all out to frustrate the efforts and enthusiasm. Privatization of power production and distribution is a big national issue. Wherever power generation and supply are privatized, results have been more than satisfactory. In view of deepening power crisis, it is time that the Government should give a serious thought to the privatization option instead of dragging the dead horse on. How long will this faulty system continue. The coalition Government should also explain what happened to the proposal of forming a Joint Venture Company with 76% equity participation of NTPC and 33% by Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation for development of Kudanali-Laburi Coal Block in Odisha. The allotment of coal block and its utilization in a thermal plant would have complemented power generation scope in the State.
In final analysis it is important that power generation is taken out of the stranglehold of vested interest and made to serve the interests of the general public. There will be no relaxation in the power supply problem in our State as long as vested interest holds the entire Corporation in its fist and does not allow it the freedom of exploring other options.
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