Jammu and Kashmir has suffered losses of over Rs 17,000 crore due to a breach of agreement by the Punjab Government and setting up of 600 MW project on Ranjit Sagar Dam power in 2000, chairman of J-K Legislative Council Environmental Committee has said.
The Committee on Environment of J-K Legislative Council headed by its chairman Syed Bashir Ahmad Veeri visited the 600 MW-Ranjit Sagar Dam power project on the Ravi and took stock of the project-related issues. “The Punjab Government has not fulfilled the commitments envisaged in the agreements due to which J&K has suffered heavy losses. The losses suffered by the state due to breach of agreement by the Punjab Government has been tentatively calculated to the tune of over Rs 17,000 crore since the commissioning of the project in 2000,” Veeri, head of the panel, said.
He said the panel has asked the J-K Government evolve a mechanism for its recovery from the Punjab Government. In 1979, the Punjab Government started the project after taking possession of 15,000 acres of land granted to it by the J-K Government under a pact. “The J-K Government provided 15,000 acres to the Punjab Government for the Ranjit Sagar project after Punjab agreed to provide 20 per cent share of electricity to the state after its completion. It also agreed to provide water for irrigation,” said a top Public Health Engineer (PHE) official.
He said the J-K Government had to lease out the land to Punjab for the project. “But Punjab didn’t wait for lease and took over possession of the land”.
The J-K Government has been repeatedly pressing the Punjab Government to pay compensation to the state.
Concerned over the damage caused to environment by the project, LC panel head said, “Approximately 12 lakh trees, including 3 lakh forest trees, have been cut in the area but subsequent afforestation has not been executed at the scale it should have been done. Our wildlife, biodiversity and environment have suffered a lot.”
Veeri said 85 per cent of J-K’s resources had been utilised in the project but share due for the state was not extended in accordance with the commitments and the agreements signed to this effect. “8,579 persons of 1,802 families dwelling in 22 villages of Kathua district were affected by the project. Unfortunately, only 700 persons were absorbed in the project as against 1,100 agreed by the Punjab Government,” he said.
Regarding power share due for the state from the project, he said the committee, during their visit to the project, was astonished to know that not a single unit of electricity out of 600 MWs is being provided to the state.
Chairman of J-K LC panel said the committee has advised the J-K Government to vigorously pursue with the Punjab Government for proper implementation of agreements reached between the two states in 1973 and 1979. “The government should ensure that the state gets its share as per the agreement reached between the two governments”.
“The J-K Government should seek compensation for damage and the losses suffered by the state. It should also seek water and electricity share due for the state as per the agreement,” Veeri said.