Govt may terminate power project contract with Ircon

Sumit Hakhoo

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Jammu, March 5

The state government is likely to terminate its contract with Ircon International Limited for the execution of the much-hyped and controversial Restructured Accelerated Power Development Reforms Programme due to the firm’s failure to meet the deadlines of the project.

The government is expected to engage another company to execute the remaining portion of the project after the expiry of the March 31 deadline set by it. Despite several extensions since 2015, Ircon had completed only 60 per cent of the works in Jammu. Confusion prevails over what will be the fate of localities where the project is yet to start or has been abandoned midway.

Sources said there was a growing discord between the Power Development Department and Ircon International Limited over the implementation of Centrally sponsored projects aimed to revamp electricity distribution network in J&K as both are blaming each other for the failures.

From the start, the Rs 1,700-crore project ran into controversy and became a symbol of poor execution and administrative mismanagement since it was initiated in 2013-14 and was to be completed by end of 2015.

“I don’t know about the next deadline but we have completed our works. By March 31, the infrastructure will be handed over to the department. There were problems mainly because land was not allotted on time, lack of root maps and hurdles created by people. We have executed our works properly,” said Sanjeev Kumar, General Manager (Electrical), Ircon International Limited.

The Power Development Department, too, is under the scanner for providing wrong load assessment data of localities where the works were executed resulting in overloading of cables and equipment. Delay in allotment of land for the construction of two important substations in Jammu (Shakti Nagar and Green Belt park, Gandhi Nagar) also delayed execution of the project components.

When asked to comment on the issue of pending project works, department Superintending Engineer (Projects) Sunil Gupta said he was unaware of the issue and only the government would take a final decision. “It is up to the government to decide the future course of action. However, we are slowly taking control of the infrastructure completed so far,” Gupta said.

Under the project, special power cables having plastic covering are being laid to lower transmission and distribution losses and new substations and small-area transformers were installed in the city to streamline the power sector. “For the past two years, poles have been installed in our area but no power cables have been laid. In the next lane, transformers have been installed but they remain non-functional,” said Joginder Singh, a resident of Chinore.