The much touted Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms (R-ADRP) introduced in Jammu and Kashmir seems to meet its death before time. Launched in 2011, R-APDRP had a focus to reduce aggregate technical and commercial losses in power distribution and management across State utilities. As the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses mounted with the consumers bearing the brunt of load shedding, the scheme was launched amid much fanfare with the aim to reduce the T&D losses, there is apparently no development on ground vis-a-vis the completion of the scheme. Today the whole fate of the programme is in uncertainty with not only it missing the March 2016 deadline, but also the executing agency starting dismantling of the infrastructure comprising of new powerlines, poles, 30 KV transformers, which were installed after paying cores of rupees in labour charges in Jammu, which shows how ill-conceived and ill-planned the project was. The first rains of the monsoon followed by high velocity rains uprooted some of these poles carrying these heavy transformers in the densely populated areas of the Jammu city damaging houses and causing hardships for the residents. Within the narrow roads and lanes they had become a matter of concern for the residents whenever weather changed. The saga speaks volumes about the prevailing corruption in government departments and the myopic outlook of the planners ultimately leaving the poor taxpayers to the mercy of this high humidity weather with power cuts and shortages. As far as Kashmir is concerned, the implementation of such scheme continues to remain a distant dream. The scheme was ought to be implemented in two phases, covering the entire State. For the first phase of the project, the Central Government had sanctioned Rs.151.99 crore under R-APDRP while an amount of Rs.1665.27 crore had been approved for the second phase of this vital project. Deputy Chief Minister who holds the power portfolio is on record when he said that with completion of the works under the project, people would also get respite from low voltage. Who is to be made accountable for such lopsided execution of such large scale projects in the State?
