Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said he will address the issue of pending commitments related to the Ranjit Sagar Dam with his Punjab counterpart.
Abdullah’s statement comes after the BJP raised concerns about alleged violations of the intergovernmental agreement overseeing the project.
The Ranjit Sagar Dam, also known as the Thein Dam, is a major 600 MW hydroelectric project on the Ravi river near Basohli in Kathua, Jammu and Kashmir and Pathankot, Punjab, completed in 2001.
In response to a question from BJP legislator Darshan Kumar, as well as a supplementary query from party colleague Sham Lal Sharma regarding the Punjab government’s failure to provide a 20 per cent share of electricity from the project and pending compensation for affected families, the chief minister stated that he would remind the Punjab government of the commitments laid out in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed during the project’s construction in 1979.
“This is not an individual agreement but a sovereign commitment between the Government of Punjab and the Government of J-K, so there is no question of turning away from obligations. We will formally remind them (Punjab government) and emphasise that they must acknowledge and fulfil their commitments,” Abdullah said.
The chief minister stated that J-K is entitled to a 20 per cent share of electricity from the Ranjit Sagar Dam in accordance with the sales agreement between Punjab State Power Corporation Limited and J-K Power Corporation Limited, signed in 2019. However, the supply has not commenced due to insufficient transmission infrastructure.
Regarding compensation, Abdullah mentioned that of the total Rs 85.48 crore allocated, about Rs 71.15 crore has already been released by Punjab, leaving nearly Rs 15.94 crore pending, including interest components. He noted that delays in disbursement are partly due to some claimants not submitting required documents such as Aadhaar, PAN, and bank details, despite several notices issued to expedite the process.
On the topic of employment, the chief minister said that issues affecting more than 800 families have been raised with the relevant authorities.
However, he acknowledged that the jobs provided so far do not meet expectations and that further discussions with Punjab will be necessary to ensure that commitments made under the agreement and subsequent rehabilitation policies are fully implemented.
“Our objective is also to ensure that the money reaches the beneficiaries as soon as possible. However, it is also true that we cannot disburse the funds until all necessary formalities and procedural requirements are completed,” Abdullah said.
“We will review the matter with the concerned management and make efforts to ensure that the commitments made under the 1979 agreement are properly implemented within the stipulated framework and time period,” he said.
Accusing the Punjab government of not fulfilling its commitments made in the MoU, Sharma requested the chief minister to take up the matter seriously with the Punjab government.
“We are ready to contribute from our side as well. Since the second phase is now progressing, this is the right time to raise all pending issues,” he said.
Kumar expressed concerns regarding the injustice faced by affected individuals, stating that those who have been provided jobs are often assigned roles such as cooks or labourers, with little opportunity for promotions.
“The agreement also stated that jobs would be provided near the project area, but instead, people have been sent to far-off places in Punjab. Highly educated youth, including postgraduates, are being made to do clerical work despite being accommodated under low-grade jobs,” he said.
