The Jammu and Kashmir Assembly witnessed a pandemonium on Friday when members of the Opposition parties trooped into the well of the House protesting against the Centre’s refusal to return two power projects owned by the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation to the State.
Several legislators were injured when marshals tried to escort members of the National Conference and the Congress out of the House on the Speaker’s orders.
The Opposition parties accused the ruling coalition of lying to the House and to the people of the State that it was in the process of getting back the two NHPC power projects - 390MW Dul Hasti plant and 480MW Uri I plant.
“Your CMP [common minimum programme] says you will ensure the return of the power projects [to the State]. The Governor’s address also says the same thing,” former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told the ruling coalition.
“The Union government led by the BJP said in Parliament that it won’t transfer the power projects. This deceit won’t do.”
The Central government’s stand on the power plants became clear when PDP MP Tariq Hameed Karra raised the issue in the Lok Sabha.
Union Minister of State for Power Piyush Goyal, in a written response, said the recommendations made by various panels about the return of the power projects “haven’t been accepted by the government of India as the power generated from the projects stands already allocated to various States, including J&K.”
The statement triggered a row as the PDP-BJP alliance, especially the PDP, has been claiming that it was in negotiations with New Delhi.
