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| PDD privatisation begins from Bhaderwah | | |  Early Times Report
BHADERWAH,Oct 11:The privatisation of the Power Development Department (PDD) has finally commenced from a small town, Bhaderwah.
Sources in the department informed that PDD has already registered a state transmission company, two distribution companies (one each for Kashmir and Jammu region) and Tradeco (holding company) under the Companies Act, 1956, to deal with consumers and transmission. The unbundling of the PDD is a legal requirement under the Jammu and Kashmir Electricity Act, 2010. The process should have been implemented in 2013-14, but political parties, to keep constituencies happy at the expense of reforming the power sector, have derailed various projects to restructure the power sector, sources informed .In 2011-12, the then state government had started the process by engaging Price water house Coopers, an international consultancy firm, for restructuring the department, including unbundling and corporation. The project had not progressed beyond the planning stage.
The total transmission and distribution losses in J&K stand at a staggering 54 per cent. Kashmir accounts for 64 per cent of losses while it is about 41 per cent in the Jammu division. In revenue realisation, the government is able to recover half the amount target set annually.
The generation, transmission and distribution functions in almost all other states in India are being carried out by autonomous organisations.
These days in each and every area of Bhaderwah private company employees were seen while installing their meters on power transformers which is creating fear among the consumers .
Local people said whenever any anti people policy launched by previous or present government it started from Bhaderwah town and not from Kashmir or other part of Jammu which is unfortunate .
Sources said having failed to tide-over the mounting infrastructural and resource crisis in the Power Development Department (PDD), the state government is mulling privatization of the maintenance of power infrastructure to in view of the manpower shortage."Manpower shortage in maintaining the infrastructure is major challenge for the government. The strength of workers in PDD is not sufficient nor the department has resources to engage more people", said an official."Manpower shortage can be gauged by the fact that in 1981 there were only 4 power stations; which has increased to 44 till date. Similarly against 1200 receiving stations, 30 years ago, today the state has 3400 such stations and their functioning and upkeep is dependent on 5000 daily wage laborers," sources said."At places where five people are required, only two are available", he added.PDD has the staff strength of nearly 32000, but most of the maintenance work is dependent on daily wagers. "Most of the critical areas are being looked after by daily wagers, who are getting just Rs 2,170 per month despite being the key work force to keep the electricity supply running in the state" the sources added.The project's focus is to reduce aggregate technical and commercial losses in power distribution and management across State utilities.The Power Development Department (PDD) looks forward to increasing its yearly revenue by at least Rs 1000 crore by cutting down on transmission and distribution losses, a task it says will be accomplished by unbundling the department into four corporations.However ,Youth Action Committee Bhaderwah has decided to oppose the Govt's move to allow privatization of power distribution.In a high level meeting held here today under the chairmanship of its president Naseer Mehboob Padder which was also attended by YAC leaders Mohan Singh Baloria ,Sheikh Mushtaq Ahmed ,Neeraj Singh Manhas ,Sohail Sheikh ,Arif Ahmed and others said "The private players prefer to cherry-pick only the lucrative regions for power distribution with a purely profit motive. Privatisation proposal in power distribution will not prove helpful for ordinary consumers," they added.They said privatization plans were being pushed by some vested interests who want to weaken people's hold over the resources of the state."The government is not clear on the issue and all stakeholders have not been taken into confidence. The move seems to be aimed at benefiting private companies," they said.
Through privatization of the power sector, the water resources of the State would be exploited further. "Already our water resources have been exploited since many years. But now with this step the power generated from the State will be supplied to other States while Bhaderwah and other parts will be left to the mercy of God," they added.The PDD employs a lot of Valley youth and now there will be no surety that any private firm will keep intact their services. It will render lot of youth unemployed and people from outside will be preferred for various posts," they said.PDD employees and workers have sacrificed their lives for the betterment of the department and in response to that the government is going to ruin their families by launching companies in the State, Just to favour the blue eyed capitalist, they added.
They announced to hold strong protest and demonstration tomorrow 12 Oct at 10:30 am in the premises of Seri Bazaar against state govt decision and urged all people to join them for justice |
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