Generally by the month of March one sees mercury rising and peaking in June-July ahead of Monsoon bringing the age-old malady of water shortage and power cuts. This year also we have started experiencing the power cuts though temperatures have not gone that high. The scheduled and unscheduled power cuts and some of the areas going without power and water a frequent scene last year. There had been some difference of opinion on these issues within the National Conference and Congress. BJP at that time was in Opposition and was in the forefront of Dharnas and protest. The then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had vowed to get central power projects at Salal and Dulhasti from National Hydro-Power Corporation (NHPC) to the State and to resolve the vexatious Shahpurkandi project on the propriety of usage of water. The Former Chief Minister even advocated for raising free power quota from the existing 12 per cent to 30 per cent in all central hydroelectric projects. He also sought compensation to the State for the Indus Water Treaty that restricts Jammu and Kashmir from exploiting hydel power and irrigation potential in full measures. Though PDP at that time had taken cudgels for the economic betterment of Basmati rice growers of RS Pura and Bishnah areas, today it is going to be one year after the Govt and political parties made promises to provide uninterrupted power and water supply to the people. The ground reality is that nothing has changed except the dispensation. The aspirations have clouded the political considerations like J and K refused to lease out 1,525 acres of land for the Shahpurkandi Project which is to be built downstream of Ranjit Sagar Dam on river Ravi and covers tracts on both sides of Jammu and Kashmir and Punjab borders on the basis of gains from the project. The worst affected are the Basmati growers of RS Pura and Bishnah on this side as well as rice growers on the other side of the state boundary. Omar had last year at the launch of Restructured Accelerated Power Development Reform Programme (R-APDRP) for Jammu Division had mooted the idea of swapping of capital during summers to understand the real situation. Can this be made a reality?
