| Administrative myopia, fiscal indiscipline deprive people of development opportunities | | |
Early Times Report
kathua, Dec 19: Lack of administrative foresight and fiscal indiscipline have deprived people of remote region of Kathua district, opportunities of development.
People of remote hilly Hut-Mashka area of district Kathua, where the NHPC is generating power by Hydro Electricity Project Seva-2 and depositing one percent in the account of district Kathua under an agreement have suffered lack of vision on part of the administrative machinery as the amount thus deposited that amounts to Rs four crore annually has not been utilized for development of the region.
"Since July 2010 NHPC is depositing the amount under local area development fund and upto September 2013 an amount of about Rs seven crore was deposited, sources said further adding, " according to the agreement the Govt. had to deposit the same amount in the same ratio but till date not a single penny has not been spent for development work.
Sources said, "according to an agreement with state Government, NHPC has to give 12% share of total power generation without any charge. Out of this 12%, one percent fraction is protected for local district under Local Area Development Scheme so that the resource district may be developed and benefitted through the project."
"As per terms and conditions of Hydro Policy under Electricity Act 2003, 50 % part of the amount of local area has to be spent within a radius of five square Kilometer and the rest fifty percent is allocated for district and tehsil headquarter, they added.
When contacted Incharge Chief Engineer NHPC SEVA-2, P.K Langar told Early Times that Seva-2 Project has paid Rs 7 Crore till now. "The Govt. has to deposit the same amount for the development. No amount has been spent for the last three and half years. Several written requests have been made to the Govt. from the NHPC authorities, he added. |
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