Saqib Junaid
Early Times Report
Srinagar, July 3: Despite Jammu and Kashmir having highest potential of hydro-electricity in India, around 15 lakh people in the state are still craving for the electricity.
According to official figures, 3.56 lakh households comprising of around 15 lakh people of 107 villages are unelectrified so far in J&K, where the inhabitants still use the traditional forms of lighting their homes.
In Jammu region, scores of villages are yet to be electrified even after 68 years of the Independence of the country. In districts of Reasi, Doda, Kishtwar, Ramban, Samba and other districts, dozens of villages yet to be electrified.
The people living in remote villages of the four hilly districts have not benefitted from the major power projects (existing and upcoming) on the Chenab that passes through the districts. Similarly, the frontier district Kupwara is the least electrified district in Kashmir division. J&K is one among the states having vast hydro power potential where from electricity is also being supplied to several parts of India. But the state is suffering for want of power as it has to purchase electricity worth hundreds of crores annually from the Centre owned NHPC and other power corporations. The NHPC has disclosed to have earned Rs 19431 crores by selling 115636 million units of power generated from seven power projects in Jammu and Kashmir in between January 2001 to March 2016.
The state has a hydroelectricity potential of 20,000 MWs of which around 3000 MWs have been identified so far with NHPC generating 2009 MW from its seven power projects which is almost half of the energy, the power giant generates from its projects in other states. The State Power Development Corporation has 20 hydroelectric projects in J&K with installed capacity of 758.70MW. The National Hydro Electric Corporation has earned around 20,000 crore since 2001 in Jammu and Kashmir, against this, the state's Power Development Corporation has generated a revenue of Rs 8000 crore in the last two decades.
The J&K has purchased power around Rs 30,000 crore during last one decade thus putting a huge burden on the state exchequer. The PDD's liabilities have also increased to over Rs 7,000 crore.
As per the data, the state government has spent Rs 1355 crore on power purchase in 2006-07, Rs 1750 crore in 2007-08, Rs 2034 in 2008-09, during 2009-10 Rs 1997, Rs 2200 in 2010-2011.
In 2011-2012, the data reveals that Rs 3000 crore was spent on power purchase while in 2012-13 the powerbill for the State was Rs 3870 crores, Rs 3945.85 in 2013-14, in 2014-2015 Rs 4719.60 and in 2015-16, Rs around 4800 crore.
A senior official of the PDD said the J&K government has signed an MOU with the Centre for a scheme which would help speedy availability of power to around 107 villages. He said in Kashmir, the PDD receives 1200 MWs and the demand for the electricity is much higher.
The official of PDD said that the government will provide 24x7 electricity to all households by 2019. "Government is committed to provide electricity to unelectrified villages in the state," he said. |
