Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, May 19: Over a decade after its first announcement, the prestigious Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line project is all set to see the light of the day with the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) planning to lay its foundation stone in June-July this year in order to kick-start the work on ground.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that this project of immense importance for the Ladakh region, which at present does not have any transmission line with rest of the State and country, was first announced by the then Prime Minister, Atal Behari Vajpayee in August 2003 during his three day visit to the State.
The Srinagar-Leh Transmission Line was part of economic package announced by Mr Vajpayee for the State and at that time, the cost of transmission line was projected at Rs 300 crore.
Soon after Mr Vajpayee’s announcement, Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, which has expertise in laying transmission lines particularly in heavy snow zones, started survey for the project and within shortest possible time came up with the detailed note indicating every aspect of the transmission line.
However, no further progress could be made vis-à-vis starting work on the project and the file continued to gather dust in the official records due to change of the guard at the Centre.
After seven years, the project again attracted the attention of the Union Government albeit due to the intense pressure from the leadership of Ladakh region, which was going to be major beneficiary of the transmission line.
In the month of July 2010, the then Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh made announcement about the start of the work on the project during his two-day high-profile visit to Jammu and Kashmir. At that time, an amount of Rs 100 crore was announced for immediate start of work.
But much to the surprise of people of Ladakh region, even this announcement failed to see light of the day and no significant progress could be made vis-à-vis laying of transmission line between Srinagar and Leh. Perturbed over the hanging fate of the project, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah in the month of July 2012 vociferously took up the issue with the visiting Chairman-cum-Managing Director of the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) and stressed on speeding up of all the requisite formalities in order to kick start work on the project.
Not only two Prime Ministers of the country, even the then Union Finance Minister, P Chidambaram in the month of February 2013 announced construction of power transmission link between Srinagar and Leh to improve power supply in Leh-Kargil region and connect it to the Northern Grid. He even proposed to provide Rs 226 crore in 2013-14 for the project.
However, the fate of the project continued to hang in balance till few months back when the Ministry of Finance formally gave nod to the execution of project to the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited, sources said. “The tendering process for the civil and construction of sub-station works is at the final stage and PGCIL is planning to lay the foundation stone in June-July in order to formally kick start the work on ground”, they added.
In response to a question, sources said, “new Union Power Minister is likely to lay the foundation stone along with the senior officers of the Ministry and PGCIL”, adding “the cost of the project, which was worked out at Rs 300 crore in 2003 has increased considerably owing to escalation in prices of the material to be used in laying of transmission line and now it would be completed at a cost of Rs 1707 crore”.
There would be four Sub-Stations at Drass, Kargil, Khaltsi and Leh of this 220 KV single circuit 330 kilometer long transmission line and the project would be completed within 48 months, sources informed, adding underground cables would be laid in nine kilometer stretch at Zojila in order to avoid damage to the transmission line during heavy snowfall.
Replying to a question, they said that after completion the line would be handed over to the Power Development Department of State Government for maintenance. “A Memorandum of Understanding in this regard would be signed in near future”, sources added. The towers of the transmission line would be specially designed keeping in view the heavy snow zones from where it will have to pass.
Trending Now
E-Paper
Follow our WhatsApp channel