WE THE PEOPLE
Power crisis, unemployment of educated youth and soaring prices of essential commodities continue to remain unresolved in J&K
Hence people expect new government to identify chronic areas, evolve strategies to tackle such issues on war-footing basis
By: M.Shirjeel
Srinagar: Despite many question marks, people of Jammu and Kashmir have not given a clear mandate to any political party in 2008 elections, but a fractured one to run the affairs of the State. The voter is not to be blamed for such a verdict, as coalition formations have become order of the day. We have such formation not only at the Centre, but also in several other states of India too. Thus coalition formation has come to stay so that politicians do not get power-drunk and remain accountable to the ragamuffin voter, who seems to have gained experience and acquired maturity to accept or reject a politician on the basis of his/her performance. Moreover, most of the contestants are on record to have declared during campaigning that political resolution of Kashmir issue has nothing to do with elections, which are purely meant for governance and addressing day to day problems of the people of the state.
The new government is expected to come into being after permutations and combinations but it has to tread on home turf with much care and caution. It has number of problems to address, which need resolution on top priority basis. The most burning issues being power crisis, creation of job opportunities for educated youths and controlling soaring prices of essential commodities, which have sapped the purchasing power of the common masses. The State writ has completely failed to streamline prices and black-marketing, hoarding and profiteering have become distinct features of Kashmir markets nowadays. The number of unemployed educated youths has assumed staggering dimensions with no immediate relief in sight.
However, it is worth mentioning that Baghliar Power Project has become operational after a long wait. The people of Kashmir Valley were expecting that with its commissioning their dark houses would get electrified and all their domestic requirements would be met without any hiccups, but it has not happened and still long shadows of darkness continue to reel and haunt them. The power-cuts are being witnessed even in metered segments of the Valley, falsifying thereby tall claims of the Power Development Department to supply uninterrupted electricity to them.
It is quite baffling and intriguing that people of the State of J&K have been facing power crisis despite rich water resources. The power projects already taken-up and completed have not given any major relief to the people of the State as most of major projects are Centrally sponsored and lion’s share is taken away by their executors. However, it was heartening to learn that the J&K Government and National Hydroelectric Power Corporation of India (NHPC) had formally agreed upon the equity share in respect of three major power projects coming up on the river Chenab. A decision had been taken to float a Corporation with the name `Chenab Valley Corporation’ with its Chairman from Jammu and Kashmir. As per terms of the agreement, the J&K and NHPC had agreed upon the ratio of equity share in case of power sharing and employment. In power sharing, the equity share was to be 49 per cent to State and 51 per cent to NHPC. In case of employment, the sharing ratio was to be 80:20 in Class IVth employees and in middle and top class posts it would remain 49:51.
Besides to bring about efficiency and commercial viability in the power sector in J&K, the Government of India is on record to have identified distribution reforms as the key area and launched `Accelerated Power Development Programme’ during 2000-01. The scheme was to finance the projects relating to renovation and modernization, life extension and upgradation of old power plants. It included upgradation of sub-transmission and distribution network, including energy accounting and installation of meters, both in domestic and commercial establishments. The project costing Rs.6.99 crore was framed by the PDD for effective metering of all feeders and HT lines. The MoU was signed in April 2002 whereunder it was agreed to complete the metering of all feeders by December 2002, undertake energy audit at all levels and bring down losses to 25 per cent by December 2006. The scheme was renamed as `Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme’ in 2003 and it was to focus on upgradation of sub-transmission and distribution in densely electrified segments of urban and industrial areas and bring improvement in commercial viability of the State Electricity Boards. To cover 12 districts of the State, 6 projects estimated to cost Rs.1100 crore were framed by the State Government and approved by Government of India during 2002-06. But it is unfortunate that the Department has failed to implement the guidelines laid down in the said programme so far.
Hence people expect new government to identify chronic areas, evolve strategies to tackle such issues on war-footing basis. The new government must take over Salal and Uri power projects from NHPC and get Power Sector audited to ensure electrification of unelectrified segments so that long shadows of darkness are put to an end. All vacant posts need to be advertised and jobs provided to jobless educated youths, who have been withering and loitering since long. The officials of CA&PDD, Revenue and Police need to be mobilized to rein and curb black-marketing, hoarding and profiteering in J&K State.
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