People want ownership of power projects, not charity: KCSDS Srinagar, June 25: Kashmir Centre for Social and Development Studies (KCSDS) on Tuesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to facilitate return of power projects from National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) instead of offering a “charity” of 150 MWs from central pool. At a meeting chaired by Chairperson Prof Hameedah Nayeem, the KCSDS members conveyed their profound dismay to Government of India against massive exploitation of JK’s water resources by the NHPC without having any regard for basic power requirements of the people in the state. The members said that it was unacceptable to people of Jammu and Kashmir to see power produced from their waters being supplied to other states while leaving them high and dry during severe winter chill in Kashmir and scotching summer heat in Jammu region. Commenting on the announcement of PM regarding supply of 150 MW of power from central pool, the members said that people did not want “alms and charity” from New Delhi but immediate return of power projects from the “illegal and unconstitutional” control of NHPC. The state presently needs 2600 MWs of power for its basic domestic and commercial purposes that could easily be made up if all the projects from NHPC are returned to it forthwith. “It is cruel irony that a power potential state is forced to fulfill power requirements by purchasing it for more than 4000 crores annually,” the statement said. Instead it even declined to give counter guarantee to the foreign banks that had offered loan at bare minimum interest rate to the state for execution of Bhagliar power project, the KCSDS said. "Besides, New Delhi has been instrumental in encouraging plunder of water resources by NHPC for their own benefits," it said. The centre said, "the Rattle deal has dismantled the myth about NHPC and proved beyond doubt that this company has been looting the under-developed state for decades." “If state government reports are to be believed, the GVK shall give 16 percent free power to the state, 55 percent power against cost at pre-determined rate of 1.44 per unit besides returning the project to the state after 35 years,” it said. “Rattle Power project deal has been an eye opener that we can have better deals with private companies which will be beneficial to the people of the state and it is for this reason that KCSDS will continue to advocate to the state government for scrapping of joint venture with NHPC and put an end to the company’s hegemony over the exploitation of our water resources.”
Posted on: Thu, 27 Jun 2013 11:53:20 +0000
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