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| J&K spends 46.6 percent plan money on power purchase, revenue generation dismal | | Bijli crisis looms large! | | Syed Junaid Hashmi
JAMMU, Jan 20: Jammu and Kashmir has spent Rs. 3401 crore i.e. 46.6 percent of its plan allocation for the year 2012-13 on purchase of power from Central Power Sector Undertakings (CPS-Us) and State Power Develo-pment Corporation (SPDC).
With financial year 2012-13 still two months away from closure, the spending on power purchase is likely to cross 50 percent of the Rs. 7300 crore plan allocation. However, if the present 46.6 percent plan allocation is taken into consideration, spending on power purchase has gone up by 1.15 percent and with winter setting in, power bill is likely to cross 50 percent this financial year i.e. 7 to 10 percent up from what it was in 2011-12.
This is despite Chief Minister Omar Abdullah keeping Power portfolio to himself and also ensuring placement of some of the so-called 'brightest officers' in various wings of the Power department. Purch-ase of power from Central Power Sector Utilities (CPSUs) has shown significant increase during the last four years.
From Rs.2543.40 crore in 2009-10, J&K's power purchase bill has reached Rs. 3401.8 crore as on January 15, 2013. 46.4 percent of the plan allocation for the year 2009-10 was spent on lightning J&K and now, at the closure of this financial year, it would cross 50 percent for the first time in the last four years.
J&K purchased power worth Rs. 2543.40 crore in the year 2009-10 followed it up with Rs. 2309.77 crore in 2010-11, then Rs. 3000 crore in 2011-12 and now, Rs.3401.8 crore in 2012-13. Increasing power purchase bill indicates continued dependence of Jammu and Kashmir on the central power utilities. Revenue generation, which is seemingly fudging of figures, further adds to the woes of the state government.
Apart from harassing commoners, Power Development Department (PDD) has done nothing significant on the revenue generation front. Upto November 2012; PDD has claimed of having generated revenue amounting to Rs. 885.19 crore. This includes Rs 221.30 crore domestic revenue and Rs.100.56 crore commercial revenue. However, relying on this figure of PDD is extremely difficult in the wake of claims and counterclaims which this department made during the year 2011-12.
PDD had claimed of having realized an estimated revenue amount of Rs. 1772.30 crore during the year 2011-12 in the Economic Survey of Jammu and Kashmir. However, PDD now claims of having recovered Rs.1210 crore as revenue during the year 2011-12. Similarly, Economic Survey puts the figure of revenue realized during the year 2009-10 at Rs.822.66 crore while PDD officially maintains that the figure was Rs. 822.66 crore.
Even if these mismatched figures are taken into account, PDD is likely to claim of having realized revenue amounting to more then Rs.1200 crore. Against the Power purchase of Rs.3401.8 crore, revenue generated is three times lesser. This is owing to non-payment of electricity dues by government departments, high profile personalities, VIPs, VVIPs, officials of PDD, PHE, Police and PWD.
Problem is compounded by PDD's inability to force the high profile in J&K to pay their bills regularly. Non-payment of bills is one of the major reasons why the revenue generation has taken a beating in J&K. Jammu and Kashmir government may be blaming ordinary consumers for "not paying" electricity tariff, official records, on the contrary, suggest that the government and its functionaries are the biggest defaulters of the Power Development Department (PDD) with arrears amounting to around Rs 1000 crore pending against state and the Indian government departments.
As per the figures dished out by the state government, more than 52 departments in the Valley owe Rs 271 crore to the PDD. In Jammu region, the government departments owe Rs 629 crore to PDD. More than Rs 1.39 crore is outstanding against the ministers and bureaucrats of the state. More than Rs 60 crore is outstanding against central government offices and forces operating within Jammu and Kashmir.
The mess is getting thicker with each passing day and if corrective measures are not taken, J&K would be facing huge power cuts on routine basis.
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