Sawalakote Project delay not due to officers: Jora

Jammu, Feb 6 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Power Minister Nawang Rigzin Jora today claimed in the Legislative Assembly that the delay in implementation of the Sawalakote Hydel Energy Project (SHEP) was not because of the officers, and said no proceedings are contemplated against them.

In reply to a query by CPI(M) member M Y Tarigami, Mr Jora told the Assembly that after reviewing the construction of SHEP, the government has decided to go in for competitive global bidding method.

An agreement was signed in 1999 between the State Power Development Corporation and Statkraft Anlegg and Kavener Energy of Norway regarding the implementation of SHEP, he said.

In April 2001, a contract was executed by the Power Corporation with a consortium comprising NCC INTL of Norway and Hochtief of Germany, the minister informed. The same year they withdrew from the contract before financial closure and commencement of works and as such no work was started on the project, he added.

Following the withdrawal of the earlier consortium, further negotiations were held by a committee of officers with a new consortium comprising SPAS (Norway), OZALTIN CONST TRADE and INDS INC(Turkey) and HCC (India), the minister said.

He said based on the recommendations of the committee, the government has decided to negotiate an agreement with the consortium, subject to certain conditions stipulated in April last year.

''The matter was reviewed and the government, after looking into all the aspects of the project , has decided to go in for competitive bidding method to enter into a contract for construction of the project,'' he informed the house.

A group of contractors, comprising new consortium, have filed a writ petition before Jammu and Kashmir High Court against the decision of the government to go in for competitive bidding but the court has granted an interim stay, he said.

UNI