Expressing concern over the haste with which the decision has been taken, Dr. Jitendra Singh said the rationale may be alright but the question is where from the state government would arrange such huge amount of money to make such an ambitious purchase? If the state government is contemplating raising another loan for this purpose, then it will only end up further adding to state’s existing liabilities, he warned.
Dr. Jitendra Singh also suggested to the government to introspect on its capacity to maintain similar projects and referred to upper Sindh Hydel Project constructed at the cost of Rs. 125 crore and commissioned in year 2002. The project was designed to produce 105 mws of power but is hardly generating 35 mws of electricity thus disproving the government claims to make the state self-sufficient in power generation, he said. Similar has been the fate of lower Jhelum Hydel Project, pointed Dr. Jitendra Singh. He also mentioned the erosion of over 300 metres of canal from Wangat side for the last one year which the state authorities have been unable to repair and restore.
Dr. Jitendra Singh called for pragmatic review of state’s power policy and expressed doubts about practicability of government’s new power policy according to which private entrepreneurs would be allowed to construct power projects in the state. He said the idea may be good but it cannot be simply imported from elsewhere without working out its local feasibility in militancy torn Jammu and Kashmir.