Missing MOU turns untraceable for task force formed in 2011
Srinagar: NHPC hasn’t paid a single penny out of its profits from Dul Hasti power project to the Jammu and Kashmir government, leaving the state exchequer with loss of thousands of crores.
Furthermore, according to the official documents with Kashmir News Service, there is no agreement or MOU available with the state government on the terms and conditions under which Dulhasti power project was executed by the NHPC in past. The task force constituted to trace the missing file is also in dilemma due to not finding even the traces of the agreement or MOU.
In the year 2011, cabinet subcommittee was constituted vide government order No: 638-GAD of 2011 dated 1-06-2011, to look into various issues arising from the terms and conditions of entrustment of the Hydropower projects to the NHPC in the state. The Committee too could not find any agreement or MOU under which Dul Hasti HEP was entrusted to the power giant NHPC for execution. When the report of the Cabinet Sub- Committee was submitted to the cabinet, it was observed as follows:
“The most important document which will determine financial implications and responsibilities of various stakeholders i.e. State government, central government and NHPC is the MoU, however, as per the report of the Sub Committee the relevant agreement is not available on record.”
The Sub Committee pointed out that misplacement of record pertaining to an important cabinet decision is a serious matter. It recommended that a task force of senior officers of the state be constituted to look into the circumstances leading to the misplacement of these records and fix responsibility for lapses.
As the task force, according to reports, was constituted, it launched a massive manhunt to find the traces of the vital MoU over Dul hasti. It found the records of secretariat and power development department but didn’t succeed in finding even the traces of the prized document.
Furthermore, the official documents reveal that the NHPC is paying no royalty to the state government out of its profits. The NHPC has so far earned no less than thousands of crores from the Dul Hasti power project but the state has so far been given peanuts in the name of free power. According to official figures, since commercial operation of Dulhasti power station on 07-04-2007, NHPC is providing 12 percent of ‘free power’ as royalty from Dulhasti power station to Jammu and Kashmir government as per the allocation order issued by the Government of India. (KNS)