Srinagar, Nov 5: Despite Jammu and Kashmir having a huge potential of hydro-electricity, the state government has purchased power from Rs 38,000 crore in the last seven years.
J&K is one among the states having vast hydro power potential from where electricity is also being supplied to several parts of the country. But the state on its own is suffering for want of power as it has to purchase electricity worth hundreds of crores annually from the centre-owned National Hydroelectricity Power Corporation and other power corporations.
As per official figures, during 2011-12, Rs 3761.52 crore were spent on power purchases.
In 2012-13 expenditure on power purchases was Rs 4103 crore, 2013-14 Rs 4471.96 crore, 2014-15 Rs 5153 crore, 2015-16 Rs 5293 and 2016-17 was Rs 5524 crore. During 2017-18, around Rs 6000 crore was spent on power purchase. In the current fiscal, around Rs 4000 crore has been spent so far on power purchase.
“JK has to purchase electricity worth hundreds of crores annually from the centre-owned NHPC and other power corporations,” an official of Power Development Department, said.
The J&K gets a share of just 13 percent from the electricity that NHPC generates in the state. The state is facing shortage of electricity especially during winters.
The state has a hydroelectricity potential of 20,000 MWs of which around 3000 MWs are being generated so far with NHPC generating 2009 MWs from its seven power projects, which is almost half of the energy, the power giant generates from its projects in other states.
The Power Development Department has proposed to purchase power Rs 7325.13 crore in 2020-2021 to provided 24-hour power supply to the consumers.
A senior PDD official that state’s power liabilities have reached to over Rs 4000 crore. “The liabilities are increasing with each passing day,” he said.
He said the upgrading and creation of new infrastructure would not help the state to improvise power until there is 100 percent installation of metres.
The centre in December last year announced an allocation of additional power of 792 MW for Jammu and Kashmir in view of higher demand in winters in the state. However, people say that there has been no improvement in power supply in the valley.
Chief Engineer Power Development Department Kashmir Hashmat Qazi said that there is availability of 1300 megawatts while the demand is around 2000 MWs. “We need more power to end the power shortage,” he added.
