KINS Desk
Srinagar, April 16 (KINS): Already grappling with power crisis, no company has showed willingness to work on a project for power reformation in the valley despite tenders sought twice by the Power Development Department for the last over a year.
A centrally sponsored scheme ‘Restructured-Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Program (R-APDRP)’ was launched in Jammu and Kashmir in 2014. It was aimed to reform the power infrastructure including reduction of transmission and distribution losses in the new Union Territory.
The project was then allotted to a Kolkatta based company with 2016 deadline for its completion. Despite giving two years extensions, the company had completed less than 20 percent works following which their contract was terminated.
For the last more than one year, the PDD had sought tenders twice without any company showing any interest to taken on the project.
“It is a major setback that no company is coming forward to work on the project citing uncertainty in Kashmir,” an official told news agency KINS.
The official said project would have brought several major reforms in the electricity infrastructure. “Under the reforms project, there would be installation of transformers, poles and lying of cables. It would also have helped to bring down transmission and distribution (T&D) losses to 20 percent from present over 50 percent,” the official said.
He however said the project won’t be affected with the implementation of Central Electricity Regulatory Act in the new Union Territory.
“PDD still remains executing agency of the project and is again going to seek tenders,” he told KINS.
The Rs 662-crore programme was approved for the summer capital Srinagar and parts of districts including Ganderbal, Pulwama and, Budgam and few districts of Jammu region.
Kashmir is struggling with power crisis these days. The electricity scenario deteriorates in Kashmir during the winter months when the power demand reaches over 2000 MWs against the availability of 1200 MWs.(KINS)
