J&K Parties Raise Questions Against Lease of Ratle Power Project

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) has demanded that the ruling government should clear the air on the fresh agreement between Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) and Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited, claiming that it has created a lot of misgivings among the people of the region. 

Stating that the agreement has added to the looming scepticism, the regional political party asked the government to bring out a white paper on the agreement to inform people about its underlying purpose and the benefits for the people of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Normally, Power Purchase Agreements usually last for a maximum of 20 years. However, in this case, they are signing it for 40 years at a pre-negotiated price, which is also unknown. There has been a feeling of betrayal amongst the people of J&K that their resources are being bartered away," a statement from the party read. 

The agreement was signed in Jaipur earlier on January 3. Ratle Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL) has entered into a Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited for the off-take of power generated from the 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project in the Jammu district of Kishtwar.

The party's state spokesperson, Imran Nabi Dar, said that the agreement has stirred the hornet's nest as the terms and conditions on the face of it are seemingly to the disadvantage of J&K. 

Seeking answers from the government, the spokesperson added that the government should have prioritised providing electricity to the domestic consumers first as the looming energy crises being severely felt across J&K was far from over. 

"For electricity-starved people of J&K, is this agreement a solution? It's a question that the government has to answer. It makes no sense that at a time when J&K is grappling with electricity crisis, the government is selling out electricity to other states," he said.

Similar concerns were expressed by the leadership of the People's Democratic Party (PDP), which claimed that the decision would compound challenges for the people of the region, who are already facing multiple problems. 

"At a time when J&K is facing a severe power crisis never witnessed before, our hydroelectric resources are being outsourced to other states. Yet another decision that will rob people of basic amenities with an intention to collectively punish inhabitants of J&K," PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said. 

Another PDP affiliate, Firdous Tak, termed the agreement as a "disturbing reality" in the midst of a power crisis which has sent the region into darkness. 

"Disturbing reality: Ratle Project to illuminate Rajasthan while J&K plunges into darkness. Power costs skyrocket, yet our resources are sold. A stark example of misplaced priorities and resource mismanagement," Tak wrote on X, formerly Twitter.