NC asks J&K admin to come clean on leasing electricity from Ratle Power Project to Rajasthan

Srinagar, Jan 5 (PTI) The National Conference on Friday asked the Jammu and Kashmir administration to come clean on leasing electricity from the Ratle Power Project to Rajasthan.

National Conference (NC) spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar said the administration needs to clear the air on the agreement between Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) and Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited as it has created a lot of “misgivings” among the people here.

Dar said the agreement has stirred a “hornet’s nest” as the terms and conditions on the face of it are seemingly to the “disadvantage” of Jammu and Kashmir.

“Normally, power purchase agreements usually last for a maximum of 20 years. However, in this case, they are signing it for 40 years at a pre-negotiated price which is also unknown. There has been a feeling of betrayal amongst the people of J-K that their resources are being bartered away,” he said in a statement.

The NC spokesman said the fresh agreement for off-take of electricity for a period of 40 years from the commercial operation by Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT services has further added to the “looming skepticism”.

He added that the administration “should bring out a white paper on the agreement informing people about its underlying purpose and what benefits will J&K reap from it”.

Dar said that the administration should have prioritised providing electricity to the domestic consumers firstly as the “looming energy crises being severely felt across J&K was far from over”.

“For electricity-starved people of J&K, is this agreement a solution?” he asked.

Asserting it is a question that the administration “has to answer”, the NC spokesman said “it makes no sense that at a time when J&K is grappling with electricity crisis”, the administration is “selling out electricity to other states”.

Ratle Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL), a joint venture company of the NHPC Limited and JKSPDC, has entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited for off-take of power generated from 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project, Kishtwar.

The agreement has been signed for off-take of power for a period of 40 years from the Commercial Operation Date (COD) of the project and as per power allocation to be notified by the Ministry of Power, Government of India.

The PPA was signed in Jaipur on January 3 in the presence of senior officers of the RHPCL and Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited.