Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 13: Expressing anguish over the power crises badly affecting the whole life, the former Union Minister and MLA, Prof. Chaman Lal Gupta said coupled with scorching heat and humidity has made life of people miserable.
Prof. Gupta pointed out that J&K has vast hydel power potential which is not only sufficient to meet the energy requirements of the State but also can be made big source of revenue generation by selling the electricity to other part of country.
He pointed out that Jammu and Kashmir is having hydel power potential of 20,000 MWs. But it is a pity that even after over six decades of planning and getting massive funding from the Centre for developmental work, both the State and the Centre, could not exploit more than 15 percent of this energy potential. Thus, State is not in a position to meet the requirements. It sounds strange that the State is purchasing power from outside to the extent of 70 percent of its supplies. For this about 8 percent of total budget of the State is being spent to meet the cost of the power purchase and meet the losses.
Prof. Gupta also pointed out that because of the mismanagement and other considerations, the power losses in the Valley are as high as about 70 percent. But in Jammu areas even those places are faced with acute shortage of power where there has been complete metering and people are paying large portion of the power revenue of the State.
This power shortage, he said, is also badly affceting the supply of drinking water and the routine working of the people in the various spheres of life.
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