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| NHPC in catch-22 situation- ultimate loser either way | | | Bashir Assad
Srinagar, Jun23; At a time when people are hanging their hands on the head as the poor power scenario in Jammu and Kashmir is haunting them like a nightmare while Chief Minister Omar Abdullah asking to pay market price for power they consume, NHPC in the meantime is busy in chalking out future strategy to safeguard its interests in the state.
Sources in NHPC headquarters at Faridabad told Early Times that NHPC management is very upset as the state government since last couple of months has been talking tough against the corporation demanding implementation of agreements and decisions taken by the state cabinet from time to time about power share, employment to the locals and return of at least three power projects to the state government on depreciated cost. However, the corporation is making all out efforts to safeguard its interests in Jammu and Kashmir.
They said that NHPC headquarters at Faridabad, for the first time, is collecting all documental evidences in support of their claim on hydroelectric power projects in Jammu and Kashmir. Sources said that NHPC chairman ABL Srivastava has asked its office to prepare a comprehensive note to be presented in the meeting convened by power ministry on June 28 in which PHE, Irrigation and Flood Control minister Taj Mohiuddin will represent the state.
Sources said that Chief Engineer (Civil) who is also Chief Public Information Officer of the corporation at Faridabad headquarters has been assigned the job to prepare a comprehensive note to be presented in the meeting in support of their claim on the projects in the state.
Sources, however, added that NHPC management at the same is in dilemma because theJammu and Kashmir government has hinted at engaging foreign companies in case NHPC continues to claim ownership rights on seven power projects run by the corporation in the state. " it is like catch-22 situation for NHPC for if it claims ownership over earlier projects, state government will unilaterally terminate the agreements on seven other projects and if it returns Dulhasti, Uri and Salal power projects to the state as recommended by cabinet sub committee, it will lose about Rs. 3500 crores annually it which was earning from these projects.
Meanwhile, government sources said that Taj is going to put a proposal before the union power ministry seeking share in employment in accordance to the total revenue-NHPC is earning annually from the resources of Jammu and Kashmir. " NHPC earns 52% of its total revenue from Jammu and Kashmir as such share in employment shall be decided accordingly" sources quoted Taj as having said. Sources said that Taj will also propose that out of 5 directors, at least two shall be from Jammu and Kashmir and the regional organization shall be exclusively comprising on locals both technocrats and semi-skilled and unskilled manpower. All projects heads in the state shall be locals and all class III and IV employees in the projects shall be from Jammu and Kashmir.
Taj has launched a campaign for taking back three hydro electric projects, namely Salal, Uri and Dul Hasti, from the NHPC. It was all due to the efforts of the Congress minister that the State government has collected Rs 639 crore from the NHPC for exploiting water resources in the state.
The estimated hydel potential in the state is about 20,000 MW.
The NHPC-owned power projects include Salal (I&II) with 690 MW generation capacity, 480- MW Uri-I, 390-MW Dulhasti and 120-MW Sewa-II project.
The state is getting 12 per cent (210 MW) energy as royalty (free power) from the NHPC for the exploitation of its water resources. The NHPC provides 12 per cent free power as a contribution under corporate social responsibility to the state.
Meanwhile, chief minister Omar Abdullah's statement asking people to pay market price for the power lest face load-shedding has invited severe criticism from different walks of life with opposition Peoples Democratic Party asking the government to first stop NHPC loot and then tighten noose on common people.
"There is no electricity even during summer months. It is for the first time that people are facing load shedding on this scale in summer. It is complete failure of the system," Nizamuddin Bhat of PDP told Early Times.He said earlier government had claimed that it would provide uninterrupted power supply to metered areas. "But now they have curtailed the supply to these areas as well," he said.
"Kashmir should get benefits for being electricity producing state. But the monopoly of NHPC and successive agreement of J&K governments with the company have led to exploitation of our resources," Bhat said.
Sources said that disturbed by suspension of construction work on Uri-II Hydroelectric Power Project in Kashmir due to prolonged agitation by the locals over the issue of providing employment in accordance to the cabinet decision No. 158 of 2000, Union Power Ministry has been trying to settle the issue between the two.
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