Srinagar June 26: Even though two years has passed since the GVK Powers limited and its sub contractor L&T has suspended the work on state prestigious 850 MW Rattle Hydro Electrical Power Project under construction on river Chenab in Drabshala area of Kishtwar District, the state government fails to get the construction work restored as a result of which hundreds o unemployed youths becomes jobs less.
In a fresh twist; rather in a shocking development, in reply to A.Q No. 28 of Local MLA from Inderwal Ghulam Mohammad Saroori, the government of Jammu and Kashmir stated that the developer (GVK Limited) has expressed inability to resume work on the project.
The work on the project was suspended by the developer in July 2014 after local people led by BJP Youth leaders held strong protest against the project management for denying the jobs to local people other than the project affected families that too were provided the job of lower rank by the project management.
Due to financial crunch faced by the GVK Power Limited and their dispute with Sub Contractor LNT remain the main cause for abandoning of the project work and not the protest and the demands raised by the local unemployed youths.
Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh in his written reply to Congress MLA Inderwal question stated that the 850 MW Rattle HEP was awarded to M/S GVK Limited on BOOT bases under Independent Power Producer mode in June 2010, but the construction work on the project has been abandon by the company which rendered some local people jobless.
Deputy CM further stated that work on the project is to be carried out by the developer and said that efforts are on to get the work resumed since last more than one year.
He said that after developer has expressed inability to resume the work, the matter is being examined by a committee headed by Finance Commissioner Planning Development & Monitoring Department and assured that the further course of action in this regard will be decided soon. The project can accommodate more than 3000 skilled and unskilled labour if the work started.
While talking to reporters MLA Ghulam Mohammad Saroori said that Rattle power project is the first mega hydropower project being constructed in the state on Built, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis, added that the contract awarded company failed to start the work on this prestigious project and also failed to give adequate land compensation to the locals who were dislocated due to construction of the project.
Saroori asked GVK Management to resume the work on the project or to leave the project and give other companies a chance. “There are thousands of unemployed youths in Drabshalla, Saroor, Bunjwah, Thathri, Kahara, Kishtwar and other adjoining areas who are having vast experience in handling various kinds of machineries being used in hydroelectric projects and also have experience from projects like 390 Dool-Hasti Power Project and 450 MW Baghliar Power Project” said Saroori. He said that there is no reason to deny jobs to locals on the pretext of lack of experience.
Congress lawmaker said that due to non-resumption of the work on Rattle project, that state will start losing nearly 1500 Cr annually as this project will help the state in reducing the power deficit crises, beside will also help the state in saving nearly 1500 Cr power tariff bills annually.
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