Four power projects having capacity of 2000 Mega Watts (MW) have not been completed within the designed schedule due to number of reasons in Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.
All the four units of Pakal Dul Hydroelectric Project in Kishtwar which can generate 250 Mega Watts of electricity each should have been completed by 2020-21but the project having total capacity of 1000 Mega Watts has missed the deadline. The project is facing time overrun of over five years as it is said by the executing agency that all the four units will be commissioned during 2025-26 financial year. In 2018-19, Rs 176.60 crore was spent on the project while as during 2019-20, Rs 251.04 crore was spent. During 2020-21, an amount of Rs 429.55 crore was spent and during financial year 2021-22, Rs 173.13 crore could be spent till June.
Parnai Hydroelectric Project in Poonch district, that will generate 37.5 Mega Watts of electricity was planned to be completed during 2017-2018 financial year but the executing agency could not complete it on time and now it is claimed that all the three units of the project each having capacity to generate 12.5 Mega Watts of electricity will be completed during 2022-23 financial year.
An amount of Rs 53.12 crore was spent in 2018-19 while as during 2019-20, Rs 32.07 crore. The expenditure was further declined during 2020-21 and 2021-22 when it was recorded at Rs 17.95 crore and Rs 6.08 crore respectively.
Lower Kalnai Hydroelectric Project in Doda, in order to generate 48 Mega Watts of electricity and was planned to be completed during 2017-18 is facing time overrun of over eight years as both the units will be commissioned during 2025-26 subject to re-start of work.
Similarly, Kiru project, which will generate 624 Mega Watts of electricity is facing time overrun of one year. On this project, an amount of Rs 24.96 crore was spent during 2018-19, Rs 177.25 crore during 2019-20, Rs 185.68 crore during 2020-21 and Rs 55.15 crore during current year till June.
These projects had missed deadlines due to various reasons like Covid-19 pandemic, delay in supply, delay in land acquisitions, contractual issues and delay due to change in design as per Union Ministry of Power.
For projects to be completed on time the Union Power Ministry and Central Electricity Authority are keeping an eye on the projects and visiting the sites regularly.
