*1050 villages, habitations to remain deprived of electricity
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 6: Jammu and Kashmir, whose vast population in hilly and far-off areas is still crying for electricity, is at the verge of losing three projects worth Rs 101 crore sanctioned by the Union Power Ministry under Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY). With this shocking development, 1050 villages and habitations and 37763 rural households in the erstwhile Doda district would remain deprived of electricity.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that earlier this year the State Level Standing Committee forwarded Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) prepared by Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Department in respect of Doda, Ramban and Kishtwar districts for financial assistance of Rs 28749.30 lakh (Rs 287.49 crore) by Government of India.
Under these projects, the State Power Development Department proposed electrification of 42 un-electrified villages, 353 partially electrified villages, 1005 un-electrified habitations, 321 partially electrified habitations and 37818 rural households including 26273 Below Poverty Line households in the erstwhile Doda district.
The concerned Monitoring Committee of the Union Ministry of Power approved the projects for financial assistance under RGGVY 12th Plan and accordingly Rural Electrification Corporation Limited agreed to sanction an aggregate amount of Rs 10128.24 lakh (Rs 101 crore) to enable the J&K Government to finance the cost of the projects.
This decision was conveyed to Principal Secretary (Power) of J&K Government on March 4, 2014 along with the guidelines issued by the Union Ministry of Power under RGGVY 12th Plan. It was also made clear to the Power Development Department that the projects shall be completed within a period of 24 months from the date of the award, sources said.
“However, the interest which the authorities of the Power Development Department showed in preparation of Detailed Project Reports faded away with the passage of time and the outcome of the same is that fate of these projects is hanging in balance”, sources regretted while disclosing that Power Development Department has not awarded any of these three projects despite lapse of considerable time since the sanctioning of the projects by the Union Government.
This has been viewed very seriously by the Union Ministry of Power and Joint Secretary of the Ministry, B N Sharma has also conveyed the concern to the Principal Secretary, Power of J&K through an official communiqué.
“I would like to underline that Ministry of Power had earlier advised the State to award XII-Plan projects by August 15, 2014 and inspite of that, these projects have not been awarded”, reads the communication of Union Joint Secretary to Principal Secretary Power, A K Mehta, the copy of which is available with EXCELSIOR.
“Now, in view of the difficulties expressed by the State, the RGGVY Monitoring Committee of Ministry of Power has extended the timeline for award of XII-Plan projects and in the event of the XII-Plan projects not awarded within the new time-frame, the projects would stand cancelled”, the letter further reads.
Through this communication, the Union Joint Secretary has asked Mr Mehta to advise the officers concerned to take up necessary steps for placing award of three unawarded XII Plan projects at the earliest.
“As very limited time-frame has been fixed by the Ministry for award of the projects, it seems that J&K would lose the projects and the victims of non-performance of the officers would be huge population of erstwhile Doda district, which is crying for electricity”, sources said, adding “if J&K loses these projects, the inhabitants of far-off areas of Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban would remain deprived of electricity for more unspecified period”.
An officer privy to the developments relating to these three projects, on the condition of anonymity, told EXCELSIOR that Notice Inviting Tenders (NITs) were issued at least thrice for award of the projects but there was no response from the companies while as local companies were found ineligible in the light of the guidelines fixed by the Union Ministry.
When asked, he said, “no doubt, J&K Government had the option to make the request to the Union Ministry of Power for relaxations in the contract conditions in order to facilitate at least local companies to execute the projects but this alternative was never explored”.
“Non-participation of non-local companies in the NITs doesn’t mean that Government would allow the un-electrified villages to remain in darkness”, sources said, adding “the difficulties should be seriously debated upon by the top brass of J&K’s Power Development Department and Union Ministry of Power as people cannot be deprived of their right to get electricity”.
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