SrinagarMissing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Dul Hasti power Project with The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation Ltd. (NHPC) remain untraced. The government response has been tepid even as it insisted that matter is being pursued with minister of power, government of India and NHPC.
The MOU is the most important document which will determine financial implications and responsibilities of various stake holdersState Government, New Delhi and NHPC.
Reply to a question CPI (M) MLA M Y Tarigami, deputy chief minister, who is also incharge of power ministry, Dr Nirmal Singh told legislative assembly that presently there is no agreement or MoU available with the State government on the terms and conditions under which Dul Hasti power Project was executed by NHPC.
He said in 2011, a Cabinet Sub-Committee was constituted (vide G.O.N0.638-GAD of 2011 dated 01.06.2011), to look into various issues arising from the terms and conditions of entrustment of the Hydroelectric projects lo the NHPC in the State. The Committee too could not find any agreement or MoU under which Dul Hasti HEP was entrusted to NHPC for execution, he said.
When the report of the Cabinet Subcommittee was submitted to the Cabinet, he said, it was observed: The most important document which will determine financial implications and responsibilities of various stake holders i.e., State Government, Central Government and NHPC is the MoU, however, as per the report of the Sub-Committee the relevant agreement is not available on the record.”
The SCS underlined that misplacing of the record was serious matter and according a recommended constituting a Task Force of senior officers of the State to look into the circumstances leading to the misplacement of these records.
Accordingly, Singh said, a Task Force under the chairmanship of Administrative Secretary General Administration Department with three Additional Secretaries from PDD, GAD and Governors Secretariat was formed. As recorded by the Task Force, the relevant records were found missing from all the concerned offices.
The task force concluded that the Cabinet decision was un-traceable and that there was not any possibility of its retrieval as the records were around four decades old and no handing over/taking over of records had taken place.
The matter is being pursued with minister of power, government of India and NHPC, he added.
A total land measuring 205.74 hectare has been acquired by NHPC for Dulhasti Power Station in district Kishtwar.
The foundation stone of the Dul Hasti project was laid by the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1983. The project started commercial generation of electricity from March 31, 2007. It was sanctioned at a cost of Rs.183 crores in 1983 but till now Rs. 5228 crores have been spent on it.
Dul Hasti is a run of the river hydroelectric scheme on river Chenab having an installed capacity of 390 MW. The power station is 240 kms away from Jammu, the nearest railhead. Dul (dam site) is 22 kms and Hasti (Power House site) is about 15 kms from the Project headquarters at Kishtwar.
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