J A M M U   &   K A S H M I R

NC benefits from BJP dissensions
Jammu, May 6
Two major mainstream political organisations, the BJP and the Congress, in Jammu and Kashmir wait for intervention from their party high command to stem the rot that has eroded the strength of these political parties.

NHPC to execute Sewa (II) project
Khairi (Dalhousie)
Jammu and Kashmir is endowed with substantial hydroelectric potential, much of which is yet to be exploited. The potential has been assessed at 7,487 MW at 60 per cent load factor, equivalent to an installed capacity of about 12,476 MW.

‘Annapurna’ to benefit 7000 families
Jammu, May 6
As many as 7,000 families are being covered under the Annapurna Scheme while 1,210 beneficiaries will be covered under the Antodaya Scheme during the current financial year in Jammu district.

BSNL to provide 5000 cell phones in valley
Srinagar, May 6
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited has launched a comprehensive project to strengthen and extend the telephone network in Jammu and Kashmir and decided to provide cellular phone connections in the state this year.

Ex gratia distributed
Srinagar, May 6
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has provided Rs 42 lakh as ex-gratia to the militancy-affected people in Tangmarg and Ganderbal areas of the Kashmir valley. 

NC benefits from BJP dissensions
M.L. Kak
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 6
Two major mainstream political organisations, the BJP and the Congress, in Jammu and Kashmir wait for intervention from their party high command to stem the rot that has eroded the strength of these political parties.

The factional war in the state unit of the BJP has further intensified with the party Chief, Mr D.K. Kotwal, suspending four BJP activists from the party for a period of six years on the charge of anti-party activities. The suspension order served to these four party activists brought the RSS and the BJP on a collision course.

The state unit of the BJP has been divided into two groups, one headed by Vaid Vishnu Dutt, MP, and the other by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, Union Minister of State for Civil Aviation. Prof Gupta has acted as a cementing force in the organisation in the state but the tussle between the RSS and a major groups of BJP leaders headed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee has cast its shadow on the unity in the BJP in Jammu and Kashmir.

The two factions have been locked in a conflict over organisational elections, particularly of the President of the state unit. The term of Mr D.K. Kotwal has expired and he continues to hold the office because of a major controversy over the completion of the organisational elections in the winter capital.

Informed sources said the RSS lobby had planned to get Dr Nirmal Singh nominated to the post but others opposed it on the plea that either the party Chief’s post be filled through elections or a senior leader be nominated to the post.

In fact, the party Vice-President, Mr Chander Mohan Sharma, who is known for his dynamism, had plans to contest for the post. Since Mr Sharma belongs to the camp headed by Prof Chaman Lal Gupta, the group headed by Vaid Vishnu Dutt, who receives patronage from the RSS camp, was opposed to it. This section created hurdles in the completion of the poll process. The election for the city unit has been completed but the results have been withheld because the winning candidate does not belong to the Vaid group.

According to the sources, an organising secretary of the RSS, who is in charge of four states in the north, has been blamed for encouraging factional feud in the BJP, not only in Jammu and Kashmir but in Punjab, Himachal and other states.

Party sources said the ruling National Conference leadership had been taking a keen interest in keeping the BJP a house divided so that Prof Chaman Lal Gupta failed to emerge as an unchallenged leader of the BJP in the state. The National Conference leadership thinks that it can get more seats in the next Assembly poll from the Jammu region, which has 37 seats, if the dissension within the BJP remained.

The ruling party leaders have succeeded in winning over two BJP MLAs who being in the BJP have been serving the National Conference interests to the discomfiture of Union Minister of state for Civil Aviation, Prof Chaman Lal Gupta.

The story of the state unit of the Congress is equally grim. Recently the AICC General Secretary, Ms Mohsina Kidwai, had been sent by the party President, Mrs Sonia Gandhi, to visit Jammu and bring the warring groups together. She failed when all dissident leaders boycotted her functions. The dissidents want the PCC chief, Mr Mohammad Shafi Qureshi, replaced and have demanded immediate organisational elections.

At big group of dissident leaders had met Mrs Sonia Gandhi recently and she had assured it that the party high command would discuss the Congress affairs in Jammu and Kashmir after the elections in the four states were over.

These dissidents are waiting for the poll to end so that they can devise their future strategy if the PCC Chief is not removed.

With the Congress and the BJP in bad shape, there is no main stream political party that can counter the propaganda launched by the separatists. Senior officers of various security agencies have stated openly that in the absence of a political campaign against separatists, the common man has started supporting the ongoing anti-India movement in Kashmir.

NHPC to execute Sewa (II) project
Balkrishan Prashar

Khairi (Dalhousie)
Jammu and Kashmir is endowed with substantial hydroelectric potential, much of which is yet to be exploited. The potential has been assessed at 7,487 MW at 60 per cent load factor, equivalent to an installed capacity of about 12,476 MW.

The total installed capacity in the state is around 1,360 MW out of which 191 MW is in the state sector. As much as 1,170 MW capacity has been installed by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), which is operating the Salal (690 MW) and Uri (480 MW) projects. A few projects (installed capacity of 2,250 MW) are in various stages of construction, including the Dulhasti hydroelectric project of 300 MW.

A memorandum of understanding was signed in July last year between the then Union Power Minister and Dr Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister, for the execution of seven hydroelectric projects in the state by the Central sector through the NHPC. These were the 1,020 MW Bursar project, the 1,000 MW Pakal Dul project, the 330 MW Kishenganga project, the 280 MW Uri (Stage II) project, the 120 MW Sewa (stage II) project, the 30 MW Nimmo Bazgo project and the 18 MW Chutak project.

This started the process for the generation of around 2,700 MW by the NHPC. The Baglihar and Sawalkot projects are being undertaken by the state government.

The Sewa is a tributary of the Ravi and originates from the Sarthal hill range. Before merging into the Ravi, it traverses a mountainous region of 53 km. Before the junction point, the NHPC has constructed the Chamera project (Stage I) of 540 MW on the left hillside and the Sewa (Stage II) project of 120 MW on the right side of the Sewa just in front of the Chamera power station.

The Sewa hydroelectric project is located in Basoli tehsil in Kathua district. Though the project was conceived more than 20 years ago and much of the initial work of survey and investigation was initiated by the Jammu and Kashmir Government through the Water and Power Construction Companies of India in 1990 and by a foreign concern in 1997. The work, however, could not be undertaken on account of the financial crunch faced by the state government. The Sewa (Stage III) project of 9 MW has been under construction by the state government for at least eight years and is reported to be nearing completion.

According to Mr S.K. Dodeja, Executive Director, Region II of the NHPC, the corporation is awaiting the formal handing over of various projects by the state government so that construction work on the Sewa (Stage II) project could start soon. A Chief Engineer along with the staff was posted for this project a few months ago.

The concrete dam for the project is in Gatti village, 80 km from Basoli, and the powerhouse near a small village, Maska, upstream from the junction point of the Sewa and the Ravi. The powerhouse site is well linked from Pathankot through the Banikhet-Baghdar-Khairi road constructed earlier by the NHPC for the Chamera project.

Water from a small reservoir behind the dam will be led to the powerhouse through a 10 km-long headrace tunnel for generating 120 MW through three units of 40 MW each. The powerhouse and other related structures are planned to be constructed underground.

The project will generate around 640 million units of power annually. The NHPC plans to complete it within five years of formal handing over by the Jammu and Kashmir Government.

‘Annapurna’ to benefit 7000 families
Tribune News Service

Jammu, May 6
As many as 7,000 families are being covered under the Annapurna Scheme while 1,210 beneficiaries will be covered under the Antodaya Scheme during the current financial year in Jammu district.

This was stated by the Minister of State for Food and Supplies, Mr B.A. Nengroo, while formally launching the two schemes at Akhnoor here today.

Distributing rice among the poorest of the poor under the Annapurna Scheme, the minister said under this centrally-sponsored scheme persons over 60 years of age were entitled to get free ration from the government. Similarly, he said under the Antodaya Scheme the poor could get rice at a subsidised rate of Rs 3 per kilogram.

Cautioning people against the machination of the anti-national elements Mr Nengroo said our neighbour was trying to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the state in the name of religion. However, he said the people of the state keeping aloft the secular traditions had foiled all such attempts.

Referring to the development scenario, Mr Nengroo said the militancy had destroyed the economy of the state. However, with the concerted efforts of the present government headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah the development activities were going on in all parts of the state. He asked the people to extend their cooperation to the government so that the development process was further accelerated.

The minister also announced that a rest house would be constructed at Akhnoor and the government would provide Rs 30 lakh for it. Mr Govind Ram, MLA, announced a donation of Rs 2 lakh for the construction of the rest-house out of his Constituency Development Fund.

Among others, present on the occasion were the Commissioner and Secretary, Food and Supplies, Mr S.R. Kapoor, Additional Secretary, Food and Supplies, Mr S. Narinder Singh, Director, Food and Supplies, Mr S.C. Jandial, panchs and sarpanchs and prominent citizens of the area.

BSNL to provide 5000 cell phones in valley

Srinagar, May 6
Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) has launched a comprehensive project to strengthen and extend the telephone network in Jammu and Kashmir and decided to provide cellular phone connections in the state this year.

Inaugurating a C-DOT B-type exchange at Kunzar in Baramulla district yesterday, General Manager (Telecommunications) S.P. Vachare said 5000 cellular phone connections would be provided in the first phase in Srinagar and Anantnag this year.

Several other measures were also being initiated to link the rural population by way of introducing internet and Wireless in Local Loop (WLL) communication devices. The 150-line exchange, set up at a cost of Rs 2 crore, would strengthen and extend the telephone network in the state.

Appreciating the steps taken by BSNL, state Industries and Commerce Minister Mustafa Kamaal, who inaugurated the exchange, said the government would extend all possible help for successful implementation of the BSNL programme. PTI 

Ex gratia distributed

Srinagar, May 6
The Jammu and Kashmir Government has provided Rs 42 lakh as ex-gratia to the militancy-affected people in Tangmarg and Ganderbal areas of the Kashmir valley. State Industries Minister Mustafa Kamaal distributed relief amounting to Rs 36 lakh among 140 victims in the Tangmarg constituency of Baramula district yesterday, an official spokesman said here.

State Revenue Minister Abdul Gayoom gave away ex gratia totalling Rs 6 lakh to the villagers of Harran in Ganderbal on the outskirts of Srinagar yesterday, the official said. PTI