JK Govt actively pursuing transfer of power projects: Deputy CM

Jammu, Jan 22 (Only Kashmir) Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh today asserted that the State Government is actively pursuing the transfer of power projects as it is an important part of the developmental agenda of the present coalition government.
Replying to separate written questions of legislators, M Y Tarigami, Vikar Rasool and Krishan Lal in the Legislative Assembly, the Deputy Chief Minister said that the Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu in his Power Budget in the year 2015-16, has clearly mentioned that the Government would actively pursue transfer of hydropower projects from NHPC and that year’s budget provided funds for meeting the operational and maintenance cost of such power projects to be transferred.
He said in March 2016, he along with Finance Minister met the Union Power Minister formally and impressed upon the Union Government the need for transfer of power projects of Dulhasti and Uri from NHPC to the State among other important issues of power sector. “Subsequently, this has been raised in various Power Ministers’ Conferences by me,” said the Dy Chief Minister.



Dr Nirmal Singh said that presently there is no agreement or MoU available with the State government on the terms and conditions under which Dul Hasti power Project was executed by NHPC. He said in the year 2011 a Cabinet Sub-committee was constituted to look into it and the Committee could not find any agreement or MoU. In this regard the Committee recommended constituting a Task Force of senior officers of the State to look into the circumstances leading to the misplacement of these records. Accordingly, a Task Force under the chairmanship of Administrative Secretary General Administration Department with three Additional Secretaries from PDD, GAD and Governor’s Secretariat was formed. As recorded by the Task Force, the relevant records were found missing from all the concerned offices. The task force concluded that the Cabinet decision was un-traceable and that there was not any possibility of its retrieval as the records were around four decades old and no handing over/taking over of records had taken place.
With regard to reduction in T&D/AT&C losses, Dr. Nirmal Singh said that with meagre resources, Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Department has been able to bring down the T&D losses from 61.58 percent in 2011-12 to 52.87 percent in 2016-17. He said that with the launch of various centrally sponsored flagship schemes which are primarily reform centric, it is projected that the present high T&D losses shall be appreciably reduced post execution of these schemes.