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| Power: Jammu glowing less, paying more | | Tariff realization disparity runs over Rs 150 Crores | |
SALMAN NIZAMI
Jammu, March 10: Despite a comprehensive campaign launched by the Power Development Department to realize electricity tariff rationally but there are still staggering gaps between what is actually consumed and what is paid for.
According to official information, consumption of electricity in the Kashmir Valley is around 500 to 700 MUs higher than Jammu but the tariff realization trend is on the contrary side. The gap in revenue realization between Kashmir and Jammu is as higher as Rs 150 Crore –with Jammu being the major payer.
Meanwhile, the supply and distribution scenario still remains grim, particularly in the rural areas, even though there has been a marked increase in power production. In rural areas of Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, Ramban, Kupwara, Baramulla, Sopore the situation is worst as the people of these areas still awaits to light an electric bulb in their houses as they still live without electricity facility which even effects the studies of the students in these areas as they do not have an opportunity to study after the sun set which is one of the reasons for low pass percentage of the students of these areas in the 10th class examination result recently declared.
The state of Jammu and Kashmir is enriched with great potential of generating electricity utilizing its huge water resources but the government is yet to make optimum utilisation. The state has potential to generate enough power which can also be supplied to other states but with lack of a comprehensive policy there is no corresponding tapping.
Recently government has also installed electronic meters in domestic as well as commercial sectors generating an anticipation among people that 24 hour power supply will be provided without any cut but unfortunately the government has not been able to keep its words and still most parts of the state suffer with almost 9 to 12 hours power cut every day .
According to the official details received from the Power Development Department the total consumption of Power in Jammu region during the year 2006-2007 was 3856.35 MUs and in Kashmir it was 4379.05 MUs and in year 2007-08, 4012.368 MUs in Jammu and 4740.387 MUs in Kashmir .However the consumption in year 2007 and 2008 as compared to the previous year has been increased by 155.818 in Jammu and 360.887 in Kashmir and the revenue realized from both the regions during the last two years are Rs 293.54 Crores in Jammu and Rs 161.94 Crores in Kashmir where as in year 2007-2008 it was 442.07 in Jammu and 251.17 in Kashmir increasing 237.76 revenue in two years.
The officials in Power department also claim that 1000 MHEPs were approved under PM’s Re- construction plan, 10 mini hydro power projects being developed in J&K, the total hydro power potential is 20,000 MW, total potential harnessed is 2314 MW, total generation during the year 2007-08 under state sector is 852.7 MU’s and under central sector generation is 8038 MUs. No doubt the power department has generated maximum revenue from the people by increasing power tariff but it has failed to provide 24 hour power supply to the consumers which they promised. If we compare the power consumption in Jammu and Kashmir state in the year 2006 -2007 with 2007-2008 the consumption has increased by 517.175 MUs .
As the Chief Minister of the state Omar Abdullah has already realized that a manufacturing industry based on the entrepreneurship from other states cannot be sustained in this state the power generation and supply to other states is still a great prospective to develop the economy of the State but unfortunately the government is still to put its optimum efforts for exploiting this and all we wish is that the government realizes the need to act on urgency at the earliest.
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