Powerless State

Perhaps, it was to offset this criticism that Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah recently divested himself of the power portfolio and gave it to S.S. Salathia.But Salathia looks helpless. For the state Government owes Rs 1,870 crore to the central power agencies. Adding to the financial mess is the rampant corruption, theft, nepotism and a lackadaisical administration.

Critics point out how the Tehsil road residences of ministers and bureaucrats located near the Chief Minister’s residence, as well as of several other influential people enjoy special power lines. Reports suggest the Tehsil road residences alone consume an average 3 MW of power every day which is the entire generation of the Chenani plant in Jammu province.

With the state’s power sector in a mess, there is little that the government can do. Jammu and Kashmir hardly generates any power and has to buy from the central agencies.

Daily requirement of the State is 1,360 MW while the quota is just 500 MW from the suppliers. The combined power from the plants in Lower Jhelum, Sumbal, Ganderbal, Chenani, Ladakh, Uri and Salar (last two being central schemes for which the State receives royalty) is just 200MW. Worse, in winter the generation falls to a mere 120 MW as most plants are hydel projects.

Salathia in panic, has announced that a power plant is being set up at Ujh barrage in Kathua and that it will be operational in two years time. However officials dismissed it saying that any power plant takes at least five to seven years to get commissioned.

Owing to the delicate situation, the state drew close to 950 MW power. Until a list of top defaulters was worked out at the Centre, and put its foot down. ‘‘It was found we were one of the top ones,’’ said Power Development Department Chief Engineer, Jammu H S Raina. Which is why lines have been disconnected to the state. ‘‘Payments worth Rs 200 crore are outstanding to us,’’ said a disappointed Power Grid Corporation (PGC) official. The state owed Rs 155 crores to the Corporation in December, sources said.

PGCIL is the intermediary to the state for transmission of power bought from the National Hydel Power Corporation (NHPC) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). The Corporation was until now supplying power worth Rs 4 crore every month to the state. With dues pending, the Corporation threatened to freeze supply until the payments were made. ‘‘After all we have to make payments to NTPC who in turn will pay for coal,’’ said the PGC official.

But where will the money come from? Government departments, sadly are the biggest defaulters and domestic thefts add to it. The Public Health Department which supplies water owes Rs 100 crore to the Power Development Department (PDD). ‘‘Almost 60 per cent of the power supply goes off as theft,’’ admits a senior official of the PDD.

Until the High Court asked for explanation from the Power Development Department following two Public Interest Litigations, little was being done to do away with the crisis. The Court directed the PDD to legalise connections, collect outstandings and furnish a report to the Court.

When the Department moved after the HC order, it faced rough weather as lower level staff struck work protesting that they were roughed up by defaulters when they asked for payments. Subsequently, some semblance of order was restored with squads formed and a target for collection set by the PDD.

The last one heard is that Farooq has petitioned the Union Power Minister Suresh Prabhu to bail out the state.