Mir Farhat
Srinagar, Oct 11: Contradicting his own Government, Minister of State for Power, Vikar Rasool, today said that fund allocation to various departments have been slashed by 25 per cent to every department in this year except the Power Development Department because of the budgetary constraints.
While replying to a Resolution moved by Congress member Bashir Ahmad Magray in Legislative Council that PDD must start a special drive to explore funds for undertaking necessary repairs of HT/LT lines, fallen poles and damaged transformers in far flung areas of the State so that people can easily avail power facility and their grievances are redressed, Rasool said that the Government has cut 25 per cent funds to every department except the PDD because “it does not want the people to suffer from shortage of electricity.”
But, Minister for Planning and Development, Ajay Sadhotra contradicted his Minister saying that he has no knowledge of funds cut.
“Being a Planning Minister, I don’t know that funds have been cut to the departments. We have released 100 per cent funds to every department. No cuts have been made,” Sadhotra said, when pressed to reply after he came out of the House where Business was going on.
Asked whether Rasool was misleading the House by giving contradictory statements on fund cuts, Sadhotra said he won’t comment.
The Resolution was withdrawn by Magray after a detailed reply was given by Rasool to the House about the expenditure and recovery of revenue by PDD in the State.
Rasool said the State faces 65 per cent transmission losses in electricity every year compared to national level where 5-10 per cent losses are reported every year.
“The State has Rs 4000 crores expenditure on supplying electricity to consumers every year and in return collects only Rs 1500 crores as fee. We have assets worth Rs 88000 crores in PDD Department and have only Rs 150 crores for its maintenance,” he said.
Inspite of this huge expenditure, the Government receives less than half of the funds from the Planning Department.
Blaming the MLAs’ for allotting 250 KV transformers in place of 65 KV to appease voters, he said that due to overloading majority of the transformers are damage which incur huge maintenance cost on the department.
Rasool also said that for maintenance and repairing of the damaged transformers there are no workshops in every district as a transformers damaged in Kupwara district have to be transported to Pampore, which in turn delays supply of electricity to the areas.
The Minister said that in Phase-2 of electrifying the State, the Government assured in the House that no area will be left without electricity.
“We are giving Detailed Project Report (DPR) to Government of India in which we will ask it to allot the State 65 KV or 100 KV transformers,” he said.
The 250 KV transformers allotted to the areas in Phase-1 will be replaced with 65 KV transformers, he said.
While replying a Calling Attention Motion raised by MLC Bashir Ahmad Shah regarding the non-shifting of High Tension (HT) lines passing through the orchards of Shagam, Sishama village in South Kashmir, he said the HT line (33 KV) passing through orchards in Shagam and Sirhama area is 9 meter high ST/PCC poles and due to growth of trees in these orchards during past years, the ground clearance of the line has decreased.
“Since there is no way available for shifting of this line, a proposal for replacing this line by 11 meters high ST poles I under consideration where in an amount of Rs. 96.06 lakh has been framed and referred to TEC for Techno Economic Clearance,” he said.
MLC Abdul Majid Bhat in his Calling Attention Motion asked the Government to explain the reasons for disparity adopted in collection of electricity dues in different districts of south Kashmir by PDD where electricity dues at rate of Rs 359 are collected in Kulgam district and Rs. 560 from Bijbehara and Anantnag.
The Minister denied any disparity saying the domestic tariff was fixed either on metered or on flat rate basis wherein metered consumers are charged as per the energy utilized by the consumers.
“And the flat rate consumers are being charged as per the agreement load,” he said, adding “The consumers having agreement load of 0.5 KW are being charged at Rs. 359.90 per month while as consumers having agreement load of 0.75 KW are being charged at Rs. 542.90 per month throughout the State.”
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