Srinagar: An amount of Rs 33830147149 has been collected from NHPC on account of water usage charges under Jammu and Kashmir Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act.
This information was given by Minister Incharge Public Health Engineering and Irrigation and Flood Control (PHE-I&FC) Shyam Lal Choudhary in reply to a question by Naresh Kumar Gupta in the Legislative Council today.
He said the Act has been made applicable in the state from November, 2010. Mr Choudhary said an amount of Rs 33830147149 has been collected from NHPC on account of water usage charges till date. Similarly, he said, an amount of Rs 34555261003, including interest, has been transferred to Finance Department of the state. However, he said Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation (SPDC) has deposited an amount of Rs 20 crore only till date.
The minister said the PHE and I&FC department is entrusted with raising of bills and collection of water usage charge from NHPC and SPDC. He said the amount so collected is referred to the Finance Department for further utilisation.
However, he said, the amount shall be utilised strictly in accordance with the provision of the Act which clearly states that the water usage charges fund shall be utilised for establishment of Hydel Projects, Hydroelectric projects, buying back Hydroelectric power projects already established in the state. It has to be utilised for capital investment in electric transmission and distribution network with the territory of state and purchase of power by the State Government and its entities with prior approval of the Government.
He said J&K Water Resources Regulatory Authority has been already constituted by the government in October 2012 which has lived its time period and constitution of new authority is under process in terms of its chairman and members.
