J&K Assembly: Waheed Para Critiques Transfer of 500 MW Hydropower Projects to NHPC

JAMMU | April 02, 2026 — As the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly session continues, People’s Democratic Party (PDP) MLA Waheed ur Rehman Para has sparked a debate over regional energy autonomy following the government’s decision to hand over two major hydropower projects to the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).

In a statement shared on X (formerly Twitter), Para highlighted that an agreement was signed on March 27, 2026, in Jammu between NHPC Ltd and the J&K State Power Development Corporation Limited (JKSPDCL).

The deal involves the development of the 240 MW Uri-I Stage-II and the 260 MW Dulhasti Stage-II projects. Under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) model, these projects—totaling a capacity of 500 MW—will be managed by the central agency for 40 years before being returned to the Union Territory.

The PDP leader expressed concerns regarding the long-standing disparity in power distribution and ownership. Under the current Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Jammu and Kashmir is entitled to only 12% of the electricity generated by NHPC-operated projects within its borders.

The remaining bulk of the energy is fed into the national power grid, forcing the local government to buy back electricity at market rates to address the region’s persistent energy deficit.

Para pointed out that this recent move overlooks historical recommendations aimed at empowering the local economy. Specifically, he referenced the 2006 Rangarajan-led working group, commissioned by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, which had advised the transfer of the Dulhasti and Bursar projects directly to J&K—a request that remains unfulfilled.

Para further noted that the current handover contradicts the findings of a 2011 cabinet sub-committee established by the then National Conference-led government. That panel had explicitly recommended that the state government should develop the Uri-II project following an ownership transfer.

Furthermore, the committee had set a firm condition that the construction of Dulhasti Stage-II should only proceed if the ownership of Dulhasti Stage-I was first transferred to the state.

By moving forward with the NHPC agreement under existing terms, Para suggests that the current administration is bypassing decades of policy recommendations intended to secure the Union Territory’s “water and power rights.”