J&K to buy back power projects

The Omar Abdullah government has decided to buy back two major power projects -450 mega watt (MW) Uri and 690 mega watt (MW) Salal— from the National Hydro Power Corporation (NHPC) to stop the alleged exploitation of the state water resources by the energy giant.

The government will pay the NHPC Rs 2100cr for Uri and Rs 4066cr for Salal, to get back the projects. This follows the killing of class XII student Altaf Ahmad Sood by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) men guarding the NHPC-run Uri power project at Boniyar on Monday.

Voicing disappointment over a “failed” NHPC, Taj Mohidin, J&K minister for irrigation, flood control and pubic health engineering, said that while generating huge finances to buy back the projects will be a major problem, “we will manage and go for borrowings if necessary.”

Though NHPC is responsible for several power projects in J&K, the state’s share of only 12 per cent loyalty from the projects is not well received by the people who view this as exploitation of state water resources.

“Entire state is suffering because of the handing over of prestigious power projects by successive National Conference governments to NHPC”, said Mehbooba Mufti, president of main opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

Even civil society groups have joined the chorus demanding the transfer of the power projects to J&K, with Shakeel Qalandar, former president of Federation Chamber of Industries Kashmir, demanding that the centre hand over at least three projects, Salal, Uri and Dul Hasti, to state as a goodwill gesture to overcome power crisis.