*Guv’s directions fail to receive due attention
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Oct 4: Notwithstanding repeated statements describing power as priority sector, the PDP-BJP Coalition Government has failed to convene even one meeting of the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation’s Board of Directors, which otherwise is the major platform to take decisions vis-à-vis power projects that fall in the domain of the Corporation and chalk out its future road-map. For want of such a meeting, decisions are pending on vital issues during the past quite long time.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that as there was no meeting of Board of Directors of Corporation since June 2014, Governor N N Vohra reconstituted the Board in the month of February this year when he was looking after the affairs of the State and accordingly on March 10, 71st meeting of Board of Directors was convened and Governor was appraised about the progress of various ongoing projects and Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation’s future road map.
While taking several decisions, the Governor issued directions for holding the meetings of the Board of Directors after regular intervals to ensure timely decisions and to accelerate the progress on projects under implementation. He even asked the Corporation to urgently identify project wise critical issues and ensure strict adherence to the timelines of each project to avoid cost escalation and generation loss due to recurring delays in execution.
Following establishment of PDP-BJP Coalition Government afresh, it was imperative to immediately reconstitute the Board of Directors and thereafter convene its regular meetings. But, the Coalition Government has reconstituted the Board only few days back after a lapse of several months. However, no date has so far been finalized for convening its much awaited meeting, sources said.
Stating that inordinate delay in holding meeting of Board of Directors has exposed the tall claims of the PDP-BJP Government about flagging power as priority sector, sources said, “it is a matter of concern that present dispensation has failed to convene even one meeting of the Board till date despite the fact that several issues which could not be discussed in the meeting chaired by the Governor are still pending”.
It is pertinent to mention here that in the meeting chaired by the Governor, thrust was laid on revising the Corporation’s Independent Power Producer (IPP) Policy in order to make it more attractive to the prospective investors and Administrative Secretary of the Power Development Depart-ment was directed to submit a detailed Action Plan for expediting private sector participation in the power sector.
Moreover, the Governor had also approved the proposal to form a Joint Venture Company with 76% equity participation of NTPC and 33% by Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation for development of Kudanali-Laburi Coal Block in Odisha.
“The progress on these vital decisions was also required to be reviewed by the Board of Directors but the same could not be done due to slackness of the PDP-BJP Coalition Government in reconstituting Board and convening its meeting”, sources further regretted.
According to the sources, the Board of Directors is required to review the progress made on Renovation and Modernization of old power houses of seven Hydro Electric Projects and fix timelines for completion of this work as power generation from these projects has drastically come down due to outdated machinery.
Moreover, it is imperative to apprise the Board about progress on New Ganderbal Hydroelectric Project, Parnai Hydroelectric Project, Brenwar Stage-II HEP, Sawalakote Power Project, Parckachik-Pinikher Project and Shutkari-Kulgan Project in Ladakh. “The Board is also required to assess the progress made in quantification of losses suffered due to Indus Water Treaty and take decision about reorganization of Corporation”, sources added.
When contacted, Managing Director of Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation, Kifayat Hussain Rizvi confirmed that no date has so far been finalized for convening the much-awaited meeting of Board of Directors. “It is a fact that several decisions are required to be taken at this platform”, he said, adding “even Board is to be apprised about the progress on projects and other vital decisions”.
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