JK identifies 24 power projects for completion

Briefing the Rajya Sabha committee on government assurances headed by its chairman Birender Prasad Baishya here,Dhar said the roadmap prepared by the government would usher the state in a prosperous era when the state will be self sufficient in power sector.

The Commissioner said Ministry of Rural Electrification has come forward in a big way for the purpose.

The Rajya Sabha committee on Government Assurances held a series of meetings here yesterday to take stock of various developmental work going on in the state.

The committee held threadbare discussions with the state government authorities of Rural Development Department,Road Transport and Highways and Steel Authority of India,Rural Electrification,Power,New and Renewable Energy and Railways,yesterday,an official spokesman said today.

Regarding Remote Village Electrification (RVE),Jammu and Kashmir Energy Development Agency (JAKEDA) said 121 un-electrified villages of Kishtwar,Kupwara,Gurez,Anantnag,Shopian,Pulwama,Budgam and Kulgam districts have been provided 16,000 solar home lighting system while proposal for 210 more villages and 20 hamlets is under process.

He said proposal for 24 villages and 274 hamlets has been submitted to Ministry of New and Renewable Energy for sanction.

Director Works,IRCON,Hitesh Khanna,through a power point presentation,gave overall position regarding the railway works taken in hand in the state.

He said the budget allocation for the project has increased from Rs 950 crore to Rs 1,100 crore this year and an expenditure of Rs 7,165 crore has been registered.

He added 25 kms Udhampur-Katra line is expected to be commissioned till December 2012.

The Assurance Committee members Moinul Hassan,Avinash Rai Khanna,Narendra Budania and Shadi Lal Batra were present in the meetings,the spokesman said.