Residents of Chenab region seek sops from government

DODA: Home to several hydroelectric power projects due to which the area has faced several hardships, the Chenab region of Jammu and Kashmir is set to face the ire of residents as power is being privatised in this part of the Union Territory (UT).

There is a perception among people that the government must take a lenient approach towards the Chenab region and provide electricity free of cost to the people.

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Doda, December 8

Home to several hydroelectric power projects due to which the area has faced several hardships, the Chenab region of Jammu and Kashmir is set to face the ire of residents as power is being privatised in this part of the Union Territory (UT).

There is a perception among people that the government must take a lenient approach towards the Chenab region and provide electricity free of cost to the people.

The step of privatising electricity in Jammu and Kashmir is being taken to end the losses occurring due to transmission and distribution losses and theft of electricity.

But the area, where thousands of mega watts of electricity is being generated at the cost of the lives of people, is not getting any concession and will have to pay for electricity like other parts of Jammu and Kashmir.

At first, electricity is being privatised in major towns of the Chenab region, Doda, Bhaderwah, Kishtwar and Ramban, but later the rural areas will also be included in the list.

The work on creating infrastructure for privatising electricity is in full swing and poles and connectors are being installed. The work is in final stages and by the start of the next financial year, it is expected that electricity in major towns will be privatised.

This region has the potential of generating over 12,000 mega watts of hydroelectric projects. At present, two major projects, Dul-Hasti and Baghliar, are functioning and generating power. Projects like Ratle and Bursar are in the pipeline, which will further increase the share of power generation. Besides, several small power projects are also functional and some are coming up.

These projects have damaged the ecology of the area and sinking of land, landslides and other related things have become the order of the day. No governments in the past have thought of compensating the people who suffer due to these projects.

Many people have reservations with respect to privatising electricity.

“The government must give free power to the people of Chenab valley as they have used our assets to generate the power. They take our assets first to generate power and, in return, electricity is being sold to us. This is not justice to the people,” said Shuhab-ul-Haq Butt, PDP district president, Doda.

He said if the government can’t do, at least 50 per cent electricity should be given free of cost to the people. “We should nowhere be treated on a par with people of major towns and two capital cities,” he added.