Despite tall claims of generating huge electricity in near future to the tune of 9036MW of hydroelectric power with the cost running in thousands of crores of rupees, the ground reality is that there is no focus on framing action plan for creation of additional/augmentation of intra-state and inter-state transmission/transformation system for evacuation of the power. We learn that according to Electricity Act, 2010, the Government is required to prepare the State Electricity Plan in accordance with the State Electricity Policy and notify such plan once in five years. This has not been done. Now the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) has initiated suo-moto proceedings to seek the details in this regard from State Power Development Department, State Power Development Corporation, Chenab Valley Power Corporation, National Hydroelectric Projects Corporation and Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.
We are at a loss to understand how the State Government is going to tackle the power issue that has bedeviled it for so any decades? The Government laments that it is short of funds to build more power houses and generate more electricity. We make a claims that we have the capacity of generating 20,000 MW of power. But, these words carry no weight, when the State is not able to meet the pre-requisites of these ambitious plans. It shows that there are so many loopholes in the planning of the PDD which need to be rectified. It is really very unfortunate that our State with tremendous potential of generating hydroelectric power to meet our requirements has become a beggar for power from the neighbouring states. The entire PDD needs overhauling and a viable, effective mechanism has to be evolved.
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