PDP-BJP Coalition following foot-steps of previous Govts
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 9: Unbeli-evable it may sound but it is a fact that a multi-purpose project having immense public importance has remained confined to papers only despite the lapse of nearly 16 years as successive State Governments including the present PDP-BJP Coalition have failed to pay serious attention towards it. This is notwithstanding the fact that the Union Government has assured 90% funding for the project because of its numerous benefits.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that during 2001 multi-purpose project on Ujh River in Kathua district was mooted and accordingly the process of preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) was initiated in consultation with the Central Water Commission.
Even pre-feasibility report of project with a potential of generating 280 Mega Watts of power and providing irrigation facilities to 16743 hectares of agriculture land was prepared by M/s WAPCOS. However, because of failure of the successive Governments to pay serious attention towards this project the process of preparation of DPR got stretched beyond imagination.
In the meanwhile, Union Cabinet in the year 2006 declared Ujh Multipurpose Project as National Water Resources Project with the assurance that 90% cost of irrigation and drinking water component will be provided as Central Grant and rest of the 10% will be borne by the State Government from its own resources.
After inordinate delay, the DPR was finally submitted to the Central Water Commission (CWC) in September 2013 and thereafter the process of conducting various studies including Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and site specific seismic assessment was initiated in consultation with Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corpor-ation (JKSPDC).
Because of dilly-dallying approach in completion of all the formalities for the project, the necessity of revision of its DPR was felt and accordingly the process of revision of DPR based on revised comments including revision of cost estimates was set into motion.
“However, what happened thereafter remains a mystery as like the previous dispensations even the present PDP-BJP Coalition Government failed to pay any serious attention towards this project”, sources regretted, adding “when the issue was raised by BJP MLA from Kathua, Rajiv Jasrotia during the Budget Session of 2016, the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Nirmal Singh, who is also Minister Incharge Power, informed the Legislative Assembly that Ujh Multipurpose Project was under active consideration of Central Electricity Authority”.
But there was no specific reply from the Deputy Chief Minister as to what steps were being taken by the Government to ensure that all the formalities are completed without wastage of more time so that work on the project begins, sources said.
Even during the District Development Board (DDB) meetings of Kathua the issue was repeatedly raised by MLA Kathua but every time vague replies were given thereby establishing that project doesn’t fall in the list of priority projects for the present dispensation, they further said while disclosing that Standing Committee on Water Resources of Lok Sabha in its 16th report tabled in the Parliament last month has also expressed concern over inordinate delay in start of work on the National Project.
“Objections are raised in certain quarters on the ground that project will leave vast area submerged and several families would get dislocated despite the fact that such a situation erupts in every power project”, sources said, adding “such a stand is unfounded as adequate compensation is given to the affected families under Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) Plan. Moreover, the number of families to be affected due to the project is around 2235 and providing them adequate compensation would not be a major constraint”.
As per the details of the project, two canals—Right Main Canal and Left Main Canal will be emanating from the barrage along both the banks of Ujh river. From each of the canals 10 cusec of water will be earmarked for drinking water.
The Right Main Canal will provide irrigation facility in Kathua and Hiranagar Tehsils besides Samba district while as the Left Main Canal will provide irrigation facilities in entire Kathua district. The canal command area of Right Main Canal will be 5595 hectare while as canal command area of Left Main Canal will be 3053 hectare. In addition to this, the Right Main Canal will irrigate an additional area of 8095 hectare in Kharif season from Samba to Vijaypur in the command area of existing Ravi and Tawi canals.
“It is a matter of serious concern that despite its immense benefits the project is not being taken seriously by the PDP-BJP Coalition Gover-nment, which otherwise is claiming to be focusing on all those sectors which were neglected by the previous dispensations”, sources said, adding “actually the present dispensation is following the foot-steps of previous Governments as far as this project is concerned”.
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