Even 10 months after PM Modi inaugurated Rattle Power Project, construction work is yet to kick off

 

Construction work on 850 MW Rattle HEP hit road blockade six years ago

Jammu, January 20: - It was about 10 months ago when Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-inaugurated the prestigious 850 MW Rattle Power Project, the work on which hit the road blockade following the fiasco between the GVK limited and L&T after the main developer faces the financial crisis— thus shows inability to carry forward the constitution work of the project. 

This was said by J&K Congress Committee Vice President, G. M Saroori while meeting with various deputations from Drabshalla and Bunjwah blocks.

Earlier the project was inaugurated by the former PM Manmohan Singh during UPA II government in presence of former CM of J&K Ghulam Nabi Azad, Omar Abdullah and others.

Mr. Saroori said that J&K Govt fails to resume work on Rattle Power Project added that 6 years had passes since the Rattle project was left abandon, Jammu and Kashmir Government fails to resume work on it.

He said that though the people and political class was against handing over the project to NHPC that will cause major dent to J&K economy, but unemployed youths are keen and are waiting for the restoration of the work. He said that Union Government should hand over the 390 MW Dool- Hasti Power Project to J&K for compensating the losses suffered by the UT of J&K due to implementation of GST and abolition of Lakhanpur Toll Plaza that will cause Rs.1500 Cr losses to J&K annually. 

Mr. Saroori said once touted as big hope for the power deficit Jammu Kashmir, 850-MW Rattle Hydroelectric Power Project (RHEPP) is in limbo for the past 6 years, after the developer fled the project site midway.

He expressed concern over the Government's failure to tap up the water potential in Drabshalla area of Inderwal constituency for the generation of electricity and it's failure to resume the work on the power project. He said large number of youth have become idle after the company abandoned the work on the project way back in 2014.

Former Minister J&K urged the Government to take appropriate steps in starting the work on the Rattle power project, which he hope will provide employment to the unemployed youths.

It is to mention here that the erstwhile J&K government under the regime of Satya Pal Malik on the direction of Union Government set up another joint venture company between the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation (JKPDC) for execution of Rattle hydroelectric power project, the state government has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the central agency over the 850-MW project, which has been described as “most doable” in the state. The MoU was signed by Balraj Joshi, NHPC’s CMD on behalf of the Corporation, Hirdesh Kumar, the then Commissioner/Secretary state power department, on behalf of the J&K government for execution of the project, in presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally at Vijaypur in Samba few moths before the General Election in India last year. 

As per MoU, the NHPC would own 51 percent shares in the company while the PDC’s shares will be 49 percent. Even though six 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 Union Territory government fails to get the construction work restored despite PM's inaugurated it as a result of which hundreds of local unemployed youths of the area becomes jobs less.

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. The matter was even examined by a committee headed by Finance Commissioner Planning Development & Monitoring Department, that too fail to suggest comprehensive plan for restoration of the abandon constitution work. The project can accommodate more than 3000 skilled and unskilled labour if the work started. Rattle power project is the first mega hydropower project being constructed in the state on Built, Own, Operate and Transfer (BOOT) basis. Due to non-resumption of the work on Rattle project, that UT will start losing nearly 1500 Cr annually as this project will help the it in reducing the power deficit crises, beside will also help in saving nearly 1500 Cr power tariff bills annually.