Under the alibi of non availability of funds, every type of non performance especially non adherence to time schedule etc would get refuge but when adequate and assured funds availability under Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) is there, no excuse or pretext could be entertained or justified. The Power Development Department (PDD) has failed to meet the deadline for underground cabling of all electric networks in five major tourist and pilgrimage destinations of the state. This is so in spite of availability of funds under the PMDP. Undergrounding is the replacement of overhead cables providing electric power. Initially, the operation costs could be slightly higher but the same are offset by maintenance costs over the lifetime of the cables. Hence, it is both economical and assuring hassle free power distribution braving high velocity winds, torrential rains and snowfalls.
Realizing the importance of underground cabling, the state Government had decided to take up the major tourist and pilgrimage destinations in the state like Pahalgam, Sonamarg, Gulmarg, Patnitop and Katra for underground cabling of all electric networks at 33 KV level and LT level and strengthen and augment the power infrastructure in Phase 1 for which an amount of Rs.25.47 crore had been sanctioned under the package. It was envisaged that the work would be completed by 2017-18. About all this, former Finance Minister had made a statement in the Legislative Assembly. The Finance Minister in the month of January last year had further laid stress on the underground cabling in the phased manner. He had said, “There are so many shrines and places of pilgrimage like Hazratbal, Makhdoom Sahib, Dastgeer Sahib, Kheer Bhawani, Mata Vaishno Devi, Baba Reshi, Sukrala Mata, Chandi Mata temple, Shahadara Sharif, and many monasteries and mosques in Leh and Kargil where lakhs of tourists come to pay their obeisance. The existing power infrastructure in these places requires a lot of improvement”.
A well designed underground cable network guarantees uninterrupted electricity distribution and provides high degree of safety. This network also serves the additional significant purpose of making the power lines less susceptible to outages during high speed winds and heavy snow, which otherwise is frequently experienced in all parts of Jammu and Kashmir. Its utility and comparative less expensive maintenance costs makes it ideal to be introduced in the state, of course, in phased manner.
The financial year 2017-18 is almost over but the underground cabling has not been completed in any of the five tourist and pilgrimage destinations selected under Phase 1. It is learnt that only around 60 percent work has been completed at Pahalgam, Sonamarg and Gulmarg while curiously, no headway is made in this respect at Patnitop , the major tourist destination of Jammu region. It is all the more astonishing that at a place as famous as Katra, nothing of the sort has started there during full one year. The Union Government has cleared the proposal for the shrine area only as detailed project report has not been prepared for the entire Katra town. Inordinate delay in this respect is not accounted for.
Has not the Government failed to meet the deadline for underground cabling in five destinations and it is still in the state of ambiguity as to when the work would be completed? With this track record of performance, how can similar work be started in other places is a moot question? Commissioner / Secretary PDD has confirmed that the work had not been completed in any of the five destinations of Kashmir valley as pace of the work got descended because of harsh winter months. He expects, now the work getting expedited. Let it be seen how far the assurances get translated into reality as we shall be watching the developments intensely.
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