Ruling PDP MLA from Rafiabad Yawar Mir Thursday asked Deputy Chief Minister and in-charge power department Nirmal Kumar Singh to stop narrating rhetorical tales and start working on the ground.
“Deputy Chief Minster’s personality and the functioning of the power department are in complete contrast to each other,” Mir said while participating in the discussion about grants of the power department.
He said that the department under Singh has failed to implement all the central schemes and the funds allocated have been mostly remained unspent. “Every member across party lines has been castigating this department’s functioning for last three years.”
He said that the departments working atmosphere can be gauged from the fact that the Chief Minister’s commitments in his constituency were not even considered for implementation by the department.
“I can’t see any other office to go to after the CM’s commitments were not taken seriously.”
He said that Singh has been giving excuses.
“Tell us when the works will actually realize on ground rather than giving the same standard reply which you have been stating for past three years now,” Mir said.
He said that the bureaucratic mess in the department has been the reason for the department’s failures on the ground. “Tell your officers to go out of their rooms and see what the situation on the ground is.”
He said that the department has been going after small time defaulters in terms of pending fee while the bigwigs were basking in the sun.
“Why don’t you collect the pending bill from the Governor’s office and residence and also from establishments like SKAUST who owe you a large chunk of money,” Mir said.
He said that a 2011 committee had also asked the department to go after the government departments so that the department can increase their revenue.
“What will we talk about the Indus Water Treaty when we don’t even have 4 hours of electricity,” Mir said, adding that the MLAs have been providing funds from their development “kitty baggage” for procurement of electricity poles.
He said that it was distressing that even in 21st century the lawmakers were crying for electricity and the deputy chief minister was unaware of the ground situation. “You always tell us the same tales of tender nahi huwa, abhi plan final hoga.”
He said that in past three years he has failed to understand the functioning of the department as people in villages across Valley have been using traditional lighting techniques now.
Seconding Mir, Congress legislative party chief and MLA Leh, Nawang Rigzin Jora said that the transmission and distribution losses suffered by the department is 5516 megawatts and the central schemes to improve the system haven’t been implemented.
He said that Rs 2570 crore for improving transmission under PMDP is still un-utilized while the loss due to failure to collect billed money is Rs 4347 crores.
He said among the 15667 Mega Units of energy provided only 7229 MU are billed by the department.
Lawmaker from Khansabab, Hakeem Yaseen while speaking during the discussion on grants said the department in last three years has only spent 20 percent of the central funds which in itself shows the seriousness of the government.
He said that the government has only changed the names of the schemes and in past three years the department has lived on lame excuses.
MLA Banihal Viqar Rasool said that the ‘power for all’ by 2018 march is a dream sold to people which won’t be completed even by 2030 under the present dispensation.
“There is 35 percent deficit of power supply in the Valley while in Jammu it is 25 percent. What will you do in a month,” Rasool said.
He said under the RJGY scheme Rs 5500 crore are unspent.
He said that the former secretary power Dheeraj Gupta was misleading the state and that is why majority of funds are un-spent under the scheme.
“In RADP only 3000 crore have been spent which isn’t even the tip of the iceberg you had.”
He said even after getting extension from the central government twice for spending money the department has failed badly. “For grid upgradation Rs 380 crore are unspent and under IPDS Rs 440 crore unspent.”
Senior National Conference (NC) leader and MLA Khanyar Ali Mohammad while speaking on demand for grants in power department said that the power problem in the state especially in Kashmir valley has become a political issue now.
Sagar said five people were killed when they protested against power outages during their regime.
“I remember five people got killed when they were protesting against power outages. Power crisis has become a political issue here,” he said.
Another NC legislator Devender Singh Rana criticized Dr Singh for “having completely failed to deliver”.
“The PDD has become (PDPRTD)-Power DPR Tender Department,” he said.
Yawar Mir tells Nirmal Singh to stop ‘Rhetorical’ tales, show result on ground
