‘NC Govts handed over power projects to NHPC’
Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, Nov 13: People’s Democratic Party (PDP) chief and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti today urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to ask the Central Government to return at least two power projects to Jammu and Kashmir, rather than raising the issue of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT).
Mufti made these remarks during a press conference at the party headquarters while responding to Omar Abdullah’s statement on 12th September, where he claimed the IWT restricts the Union Territory’s ability to harness its full hydroelectric potential.
The treaty, signed in 1960 with the World Bank as a signatory, governs the water usage of cross-border rivers in Jammu and Kashmir.
The PDP chief acknowledged that while the treaty has harmed J&K’s interests, she accused the BJP of making it an issue for years. “The BJP’s narrative has been trying to make the Indus Water Treaty an issue for many years,” she said.
She added that the issues settled between the two countries should not be reopened. “Otherwise, we are playing into the hands of the BJP,” she said.
Addressing Omar’s assertion about the treaty limiting the region’s electricity generation, she questioned, “We should also pay attention to whether the electricity we are generating is even ours.” Click here to watch video
She pointed out that former Chief Minister Sheikh Abdullah handed over the Salal project to NHPC (National Hydroelectric Power Corporation), and in 1996, Farooq Abdullah handed over seven more projects. “This is not an ordinary thing,” she said.
Mufti emphasized that Omar Abdullah should push for the return of at least two power projects from NHPC. “When the PDP formed a Government with the BJP, they agreed in the Agenda of Alliance to seek the return of at least two power projects,” she said. She mentioned that the Rangarajan Committee had also recommended the return of power projects. “If you do not return the projects, then compensate us with money,” she added.
She noted that despite tensions between India and Pakistan, the IWT has remained intact and cautioned against disrupting it. “For the last 70-75 years, Jammu and Kashmir has suffered immense damage during India-Pakistan conflicts. Our lives and wealth have been irreparably harmed,” she said.
Mufti criticized the BJP for providing free electricity in other states while Jammu and Kashmir, despite generating power, remains in darkness. “Our electricity goes to NHPC, and they sell it back to us. During winter, we face power shortage in Kashmir and in Jammu during summers,” she said.
She warned that making the IWT an issue would impact Jammu and Kashmir severely. “The BJP will not care; neither will Punjab nor Rajasthan. But Jammu and Kashmir will suffer the consequences,” she said.
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