Jammu, Mar 14: Admitting that hydro electric projects set up by National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) in the state were constructed without terms and conditions, Minister for PHE, Taj-Mohi-Ud-Din, today said that government has no record how NHPC managed to construct these projects in Jammu and Kashmir.
 “I want to confess that most of the hydro projects have been set up without any Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between state and NHPC or approval by the state Cabinet as there is no record available with the government,” the minister said while seeking budget grants in the House for departments under his charge.
 He said that there was no order regarding the land lease and for how much time the corporation will be allowed to keep the land under its possession. “In J&K for simple transfer of state land between departments, Cabinet nod is necessary, but thousands of kanals of land was transferred to NHPC without any order,” the minister said.
 He said that there was no data available for Uri-I, Dul Hasti and Salal projects and nobody knows what formalities were followed to give permission. “We don’t know under what lease deeds and modalities they were given permission to construct power projects,” he said. Without blaming anyone, Taj said, “We all are responsible for this mess and we have to take collective responsibility. Mistakes have been made by every government in the past.”
 He said that to safeguard interests of the state, government came up with the Water Resources Regulation and Management Act so that NHPC and other companies could be made accountable.
 “Now every company including NHPC will have to sign MoU with the government for taking up future projects in the state and only then they will be given licenses. But we have also decided to recover the money for the already constructed and under-construction projects,” he said.
 “We can generate nearly Rs 863 crores from the already set up hydro-electric projects and out of which bill amounting to Rs 66 crores has been distributed. JKPDC has given some money while the NHPC has sought two months time,” he said.  He said that under the new law J&K can now charge companies for using water from the state's rivers for generating electricity. 
 Urging the minister to reveal the period during which the projects were approved, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader, Muzaffar Hussain Beig said, “Which government has given the approval, minister should tell the House. The governments during whose tenure these projects were approved shall be made accountable.”
 Terming the revelation as ‘harsh reality,’ M Y Tarigami said that successive governments should be made accountable for this ‘mischief’. “Every previous government is responsible for this mess and they shall be held accountable for the same.”

Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Mon, 14 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Tue, 15 Mar 2011 00:00:00 IST