Govt to set up hydel projects on its own

Govt to set up hydel projects on its own
Archit Watts /TNS

Jammu, April 2
After the “failure” of the Army in setting up micro-hydel power projects in the state, the government has decided to execute such projects on its own.

While replying to a question of Congress legislator Vijay Bakaya, Minister of Science and Technology ASR Mehdi said today in the Legislative Council that according to a survey report, only 18 per cent of the projects executed by the Army under the Border Area Development Programme, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Operation Sadbhavana were functional.

“The IREP has conducted a survey of 524 micro-hydel power projects set up by the Army, out of which 388 were found to be non-functional, 37 were non-existent and the rest 99 were found to be test-functional,” said Mehdi, during Question Hour.

Bakaya said, “The test-functional projects are also expected to be found as non-functional soon, as the Army has failed in executing such projects”. Another NC legislator, Mohammad Rashid Qureshi, asked, “Is it essential to get the work done through the Army. Isn’t there any other mechanism?”

Mehdi said, “I agree with their concern, as the work done by the Army was not up to the expectations. Earlier, we constituted a committee in this regard and now we have put up the matter before the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy”. He added, “In future, the government has decided to install all micro-hydel power projects by itself”.

Walkout by MLCs over ‘discriminatory’ attitude of acting chairman

Legislative Council in Session
Walkout by MLCs over ‘discriminatory’ attitude of acting chairman
Archit Watts /TNS

Jammu, April 2
Charging the acting chairman of the Upper House with adopting a discriminatory attitude towards opposition members, PDP leader Murtaza Ahmad Khan staged walkout twice from the House, while Panthers Party legislator Mohammad Rafiq Shah and Congress legislator Haji Ali Mohammad Bhat also walked out during the thanksgiving address before the conclusion of the ongoing Budget session.

Showing his anger over non-listing of a few of his issues, the PDP legislator staged a walkout at the beginning of Question Hour.

He said, “I had requested to list two important issues in the business of the House, but they are nowhere. This is discriminatory and I will stage a walkout”. Murtaza added, “The son of a Member of Parliament has been provided a government job out of the way, which should have been discussed in the House”.

The acting chairman, Arvinder Singh Micky, did not allow him, due to which he trooped into the well of the House and staged a walkout. However, he came back to attend the proceedings after a few minutes.

Highlighting the issue of encroachment of a graveyard’s land in the Rehari area by the Jammu Municipal Corporation (JMC), he again staged a walkout.

Later, Deputy Chief Minister Tara Chand and Minister of Law and Parliamentary Affairs Ali Mohammad Sagar called him back and assured him that the matter would be looked into. Meanwhile, a few minutes before the conclusion of the Budget session, Shah, the lone legislator of the Panthers Party in the Upper House, staged a walkout.