Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, May 20: Union Minister for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal, today ruled out transfer of hydro-power projects to the State and refused to increase the power share of the State from the projects run by National Hydropower Project Corporation (NHPC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
When asked about return of two power projects as promised by the PDP-BJP coalition in Agenda of Alliance, Goyal told reporters here during a Press Conference through Video Conference from New Delhi, that the States put forward lot of demands before the Centre and it is not necessary that every decision is translated into decision. “States put forward lot of demands before the Centre and every demand is not translated into decision,” he said.
When asked about the demand of raising State’s share of power from 12 percent to 25 percent, the Power Minister said: “These power projects are held by listed companies and the power share of 12 per cent is same across the country for all the States and is given across the country as per norms of the private companies,” he said.
Goyal said that no State can be given a special category in profit share. “Share in profit is given to the stakeholders. There can be no separate profit share for different States in the country. No State can have a special category in share of the profits from the hydropower projects,” he said.
It may be mentioned here that in the Agenda of Alliance PDP-BJP Government has promised that the State Government will work for transfer of Dulhasti and Uri Hydro Power Projects to the State. The agenda also promise that the Government will secure a share in the profits of NHPC emanating from J&K waters to the State Government, and revise all royalty agreements.
The Power Minister said that Chenab Valley Corporation, a joint venture with the Jammu and Kashmir Government, will start power projects in Jammu and Kashmir and the State will naturally be a share holder in the profits.
Goyal said that the transmission losses in the State is a grave concern and Government is working for minimizing them. “Many factors are responsible for the transmission losses in Jammu and Kashmir and these factors hamper minimizing the losses. The State Government is working to minimise losses,” he said.
The Minister said that the Centre is serious to address power deficit issue of the State and urged people to cooperate in paying power bills and expose those who resort to power thefts. “People in the State should cooperate in paying power bills, and somebody in the society should act as whistle blower to expose those people in the society, factory owners who resort to power thefts. Then together we can resolve the issue of power deficit,” he added.
Goyal said that under the new Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana, Rs 619 crore and under IPDS scheme Rs 446 crore have been sanctioned to the Jammu and Kashmir State for repair of power transformers.
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