Advisor to Governor KK Sharma today called for sustained efforts to fully tap the hydro-electric and other power generating sources to make the State self-sufficient in power generation.The Advisor was speaking at the 8th meeting of Management and Finance Sub-Committee of Jammu Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC) here today.“The hydropower potential of J&K, if exploited to its fullest, shall enable all-round socio-economic growth and development besides enhancement of the economy,” he maintained and added that such steps would open up employment opportunities especially for the youth of the state and also address the power deficit of the State.The meeting was attended by Financial Commissioner Finance Dr Arun Kumar Mehta, Commissioner Secretary Power Development Department/Managing Director JKSPDC Hridesh Kumar Singh; Director General Planning Sahibzada Bilal and other senior officers of JKSPDC and PDD department.During the meeting, the MD JKSPDC informed about the various ongoing projects and the future road map of PDC.The Advisor stressed on the importance of all identified objectives being achieved within envisaged time frame for the development of hydropower in the state, keeping in view the immense potential of the sector.He asked the Managing Director to urgently identify project-wise critical issues and personally ensure strict adherence to the timeline of each project to avoid cost escalation and generation loss due to delays in project execution.
The Advisor directed that the Committee meetings should be held at regular intervals to ensure timely decisions and to accelerate the progress of project implementation.He asked the Managing Director PDC to ensure that the Corporation’s internal systems are strengthened and streamlined to ensure timely approval of various power projects and the effective management of every contract.During a threadbare discussion about works programme of new and ongoing power projects, the Advisor emphasized to scientifically and professionally manage fund flows of the Corporation.The progress and pace of implementation of ongoing projects especially the implementation of 850 MW Rattle Hydroelectric power project and other issues related to the corporation were also discussed in the meeting. Earlier the Advisor undertook a review meeting of JAKEDA and discussed in detail the various projects and initiatives undertaken by the agency.Commissioner Secretary PDD Hridesh Kumar, Secretary Science and Technology Ringzin Sampheal, CEO JAKEDA Owais Ahmed and other senior officers were also present in the meeting.The Advisor directed speeding up the initiatives being undertaken by the agency especially in the non-conventional sector maintaining that they can provide a viable and cost-effective alternatives to the conventional ones. The Advisor also stressed on the need for undertaking perspective planning so that other non-renewable resources can also be tapped for making the State energy-rich and reducing the cost of production.