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| 25MW is ok, but Qaed-e-Sani what’s this Energy Ministry? | | Farooq moves into new office, holds first official meeting with Omar | | EARLY TIMES REPORT
Jammu, May 29: The National Conference president, often referred to as Qaed-e-Sani is laying a repeated emphasis on his ‘happiness’ with the department he has got as Union Minister but many are still grappling over what this “New and Renewable Energy” Ministry is all about?
It is nice that Farooq’s former key aide and top bureaucrat of his government, Ashok Jaitly has grown as an expert of energy science but one fails to understand what would engage a tall political figure in department which could have been left best to a director is research.
The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy was established as recently as 2006 when it was carved out the Minister of Non-Conventional Energy Resources. Apparently this Ministry was created in October 2006 to adjust a Minister in the over-allianced coalition Ministry of the United Progressive Alliance. Farooq’s predecessor in this Ministry was Congress MP from Nagpur (Maharashtra) Vilas Muttemwar, who was a Minister of State (with independent charge).
The Ministry is responsible mainly for research and development, intellectual property protection, and international cooperation, promotion, and coordination in renewable energy sources such as wind power, small hydro, biogas, and solar power.
As the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy sounded something new to many in Jammu and Kashmir, the state Information Department jumped into a PR exercise subtly claiming that Farooq’s Ministry has a lot to do for the state.
An intelligently written press note of the Information Department said that New and Renewably Energy ‘also’ deals with the hydel power projects below 25 MW generating capacity. In power sector, the New and Renewable Energy mostly deals with the non-conventional, solar, geo-thermal and biogas energy projects. Therefore, the added emphasis of the Information Department that J&K is one the largest sources of non-conventional energy is not quite out of place.
Meanwhile, Farooq brushed aside rumours about his unhappiness over relatively low profile being handed over to him saying the ministry was a big challenge. Within minutes of his taking over charge in New Delhi, the Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and his son Omar Abdullah was the first official visitor, who asked him to take the electrification of remaining areas of the state by setting up small hydel projects less than 25 Mega Watts.
While brushing aside notion about getting a low profile ministry, Farooq said "this ministry is a big challenge and I take this challenge head on. I am happy that I have been entrusted with the job which ultimately benefits our future generation."
When asked whether he had any grouse for not getting bigger portfolios like tourism or health for which his name was in the running, Abdullah told reporters after taking charge of the ministry, that "No profile is big or small. It is just a perception of people. I think I am small for New and Renewable Energy Ministry. This portfolio is bigger than me."
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