Srinagar, Dec 29: The State government has handed over maintenance and operation of Baglihar Hydel Power Project to the NHPC without inviting any bids for the same.
One of the reasons cited by the Chief Engineer Generation to out-source the operation and maintenance of Baglihar project was “lack of expertise and trained staff at JKSPDC” in managing the project. Interestingly, it took nine years to complete the project but the successive state governments failed to explain why they didn’t train the staff to run the project.
Sources said on March 31, 2009, an agreement was signed between the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation and the National Hydel Power Corporation Ltd to undertake the operation and maintenance of Baglihar Power Project including civil structures and hydro-mechanical equipment. However, the transmission lines were excluded from the agreement. The NHPC finally took over the project on September 3, 2009.
According to the agreement, JKSPDC would be required to pay NHPC operation and maintenance charges to the tune of Rs 74.10 crores for the first year excluding the boarding and lodging.
Sources said that based on request of Chief Engineer Generation (Incharge Baglihar HEP) and the approval of the Board of Directors of the JKSPDC a team of technical experts under the chairmanship of executive director JKSPDC recommended mode of operation of Baglihar.
Sources said the technical committee recommended outside assistance for operation and maintenance of Baglihar HEP for a limited period, during which the staff of JKSPDC would be trained simultaneously.
Subsequently, the proposals were sought from NHPC, M/S Lahmeyer International (consultant of Baglihar HEP), M/S PES (sub-contractor of E/M contractor M/s Voith Siemens) and M/S JAL (civil and HM contractor of Baglihar HEP-I) for operation and maintenance of Baglihar HEP-I.
Sources said the JKSPDC constituted empowerment committee headed by the Chief Secretary to decide the operation and maintenance of the Baglihar HEP-I. “The committee concluded that the NHPC offer is the only feasible option. It described the other offers incomplete without drawing comparatives and didn’t accept them,” sources said.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 Dec 2009 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 29 Dec 2009 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 30 Dec 2009 00:00:00 IST