Jammu: The management of the 850-Megawatt Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project and people living in nearby villages have come at loggerheads on several issues like dumping site, less employment for local youth, and the failure of the executing company Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL) to build any infrastructure under Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).
Locals claimed that the work on the hydroelectric power project was stopped several times as these issues had not been addressed. They accused the MEIL officials of being rude and insensitive towards local issues.
The indifference by the MEIL even prompted the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) from Kishtwar, Shagun Parihar, to say, “The trend shows that the company is working like the East India Company, and they think we will tolerate it; it will not happen,” while she was listening to the problems of the protesting people, especially women.
“They will have to shift the dumping site, and I will take up the issue with Deputy Commissioner Kishtwar,” Parihar assured the protestors on Sunday (December 1).
The Ratle Power Project has been marred by controversies ever since the work was started in June 2013 after the foundation laying by then-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Earlier, the tender was allotted to the GVK Reddy Group on a Built-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) basis for 35 years in 2013, but within two years of the start of the work, the company wound up due to some issues with the J&K government.
GVK Reddy Group leaving the project midway was attributed to political interference and people holding protests frequently, but no official word from the group had come on the issue.
The contract was given to the MEIL in January 2022 by Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited (RHPCL), a joint venture of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) and J&K State Power Development Corporation (JKSPDC). The company had to stop the construction work on the project many times due to the protests, mainly over the alleged denial of employment to the local population and also the muck making the lives of people difficult.
Talking to ETV Bharat, Deputy General Manager (DGM) of MEIL Kuldeep Kumar said, “There was some issue with the people over the dumping of muck, as they claimed that they are suffering due to the dust and movement of heavy dumpers from their homes. But the issue has been addressed, and things are back to normal.”
Locals alleged that MEIL ignored local unemployed youths from nearby villages for jobs like drivers, helpers etc. “We understand that at times MEIL will not find technical people from nearby villages, and they will have to bring experts from outside, but there is no harm in providing jobs of drivers, helpers, and similar work to the local youth,” claimed Puran Chand, a resident of the Drabshala area.
Replying to these queries, DGM MEIL said, “Around 1700 people are working on the project, and around 1200 are from nearby villages. We try to give jobs to the locals.”
When asked what work the MEIL has done under CSR, the DGM said, “I am new and don’t have any information.”
