Cabinet approves Rs 5282 cr Ratle project, 4000 to get jobs
Previous State Govts deliberately stalled project: Dr Jitendra
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Jan 20: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha said today that footprints of radicalization in Jammu and Kashmir are lying across the border where groups are being created on Social Media to indoctrinate youth and declared that process of de-radicalization and counter-radicalization is in the process and many radicalized youth have been de-radicalized.
Sinha said it was due to strong will of the Central Government headed by Narendra Modi which has set aside all objections raised by Pakistan and cleared construction of Rs 5282 crore worth 850 MW Ratle hydroelectric power project over river Chenab in Kishtwar district.
Earlier in the day, Union Cabinet, which met in New Delhi under the chairmanship of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, cleared construction of Ratle project. Click here to watch video
“Thanks PM @narendramodi. Ratle project in Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, stalled for several years, finally revived. It will generate not only power, but also revenue & jobs for the region. Union Cabinet approved Rs 5281.94 cr for Ratle project which was waiting to take off since 2013,” Union Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) Dr Jitendra Singh tweeted soon after the Cabinet approved the project which falls in his Udhampur-Doda Parliamentary constituency. He added that the previous Governments in Jammu and Kashmir had deliberately stalled the project.
Describing the issue of radicalization as “serious and sensitive”, Sinha said its footprints lie somewhere across the border where groups are being made on Social Media to indoctrinate the youth.
He was speaking in a function organized by Jammu and Kashmir Nationalist’s People Front (JKNPF) party, which is inspired by The Art of Living and has blessings of global spiritual leader, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. The event was an important confluence of the prominent Muftis, Maulvis and Khatibs belonging to different parts of the Union Territory.
Stressing the need to monitor mischievous elements, Sinha said the Government is working on not only de-radicalization but also counter-radicalization process.
“Through de-radicalization, we are bringing back the radicalized youth while with counter-de-radicalization, we are preventing vulnerable youth from getting radicalized,” he added.
He cited an instance of 2014-15 of Telangana where brain-washed youth were counseled and de-radicalized after being told the true meaning of Islam by the community leaders and Muftis.
He said there were many incidents in which parents noticed change in the behaviour of their children after they surfed websites and Social Media. However, with the help of elderly persons, they were brought back to the right direction.
“Radicalization shouldn’t be connected with one community. Rather, the correct way to see it is connecting with drug addiction,” the Lieutenant Governor said.
“We have to develop the concept of winning the hearts and minds as future power will be built by those societies and the country, which control the minds and hearts of the people through equitable development of the society. We must focus on a comprehensive measures involving community, family and much required stress on positive messages, introducing books on prominent Muslim figures like Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Maqbool Sherwani, Salim Ali etc, besides chapters on peace and harmony in schools and madrasas”, said the Lt Governor.
Mentioning the teachings of Sufi Saint Mohammad Syed, Sinha said that J&K has been home to values of equality and fraternity, cultural relations, communal harmony and sufi traditions.
He further said that different religious leaders have also spread the message of unity, tolerance and community activities. But there are some disgruntled elements also who have sown the seeds of hatred to divide the people. “I hope that the religious leaders here will show the right path to elements spreading hate and to the disoriented people”, the Lt Governor said.
There is no other nation in the world where even after so much diversity, so many cultures live together harmoniously with love, he added.
Meanwhile, Sinha told reporters here this afternoon that the Union Cabinet has approved the construction of 850 MW Ratle hydroelectric power project over river Chenab in Kishtwar district at the cost of Rs 5282 crore.
“This will generate 4000 direct and indirect jobs,” he said.
He added that it was because of the will power of the Central Government headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi that all objections raised by Pakistan to take the project to International Court and World Bank were set aside and clearance was today given for construction of the project.
The project will be constructed in joint venture by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) with 51:49 equity ratios.
“The Central Government has also decided to bear entire 49 percent equity of Jammu and Kashmir amounting to Rs 776.44 crore in the project,” Sinha said, adding this is the rare project in which Jammu and Kashmir will spend nothing as 51 percent cost will be borne by the NHPC and 49 percent by the JKSPDC, which will be paid by the Centre.
The Jammu and Kashmir will be almost 50 percent partner in the project without any expenditure, he said.
The project will be commissioned in five years, the Lieutenant Governor said.
He said the Government of India is also supporting the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir by providing grant of Rs 776.44 crore for equity contribution of JKSPDC in the joint venture.
NHPC shall invest Rs 808.14 crore from its internal resources.
The power generated from the project will help in providing balancing of grid and improve the power supply position.
To make the project viable, the Government of the UT of Jammu and Kashmir will extend exemption from levy of water usage charges for 10 years after commissioning of the project, reimbursement of State’s share of GST (SGST) and waiver of free power to the UT in a decremental manner.
That is, the free power to the Union Territory would be 1 per cent in the first year after commissioning of the project and rise at the rate of 1 per cent per year to 12 per cent in the 12th year, it added.
Further, the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir will be getting free power worth Rs 5,289 crore and levy of water usage charges worth Rs 9,581 crore during the project life cycle of 40 years.
Mentioning the lacklustre approach of the earlier Governments towards execution of Ratle project, Sinha said that Jammu & Kashmir was deprived of this mega project for so long because the previous regimes were scared to move ahead due to Pakistan’s threats of going to International court for arbitration, and making representation in the World Bank.
In addition, the Kwar project (540 MW) has been decided to be taken up. This will result in an investment of Rs.4,264 crores and create more than 2000 jobs in the UT, he added.
Sinha observed that four more projects (Kirthai-II (930MW), Sawalkot (1,856MW), Uri-I (Stage-II) (240MW) and Dulhasti (Stage-II) (258MW) involving an investment of Rs.31,000 Cr have also been decided to be taken up for construction. These projects together with the two ongoing projects of Pakaldul (1000 MW) and Kiru (624MW) on Chenab river and its tributaries will result in an investment of about Rs.52,821 crores and create more than 12000 jobs in the Union Territory.
To train the local people, the Ministry of Power / Ministry of Skill Development propose to set up training centres near the project sites in collaboration with NHPC Ltd, so that they can be employed in the projects, Sinha said.
“Since independence up to the year 2018, projects of only around 3500 MW had been set up in J&K. Against this, our Government has taken up projects with capacity of 6300 MW to be set up in the UT in the next five years. This is double the installed capacity set-up since independence,” he added.
This will make UT of J&K self reliant in power; lead to faster growth and development K and create a minimum 12000 jobs directly and indirectly. Such large scale investment has never happened in the past, the Lt Governor maintained.
Prominent among others, present at the press conference were BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary and Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department and Information Department, besides senior officers of civil administration.
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