Jammu and Kashmir’s regional parties were up in arms on Saturday over the recent power purchase agreement between Ratle Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL) and Rajasthan Urja Vikas and IT Services Limited for offtake of power for a period of 40 years.
National Conference (NC) spokesperson Imran Nabi Dar sought clarification about the agreement. “A power purchase agreement usually lasts for a maximum of 20 years. In this case, it is 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. The government should bring out a white paper on the agreement informing people about its underlying purpose and what benefits will J&K reap from it,” Mr. Dar said.
He said the agreement has stirred a hornet’s nest because the terms and conditions seemingly are to the disadvantage of the Union Territory. “The government should have prioritised providing electricity to the domestic consumers, given the looming energy crisis. For electricity-starved people of J&K, is this agreement a solution?” he asked.
