The center’s BJP leadership has reprimanded the party’s JK leaders not to make “hue and cry” that goes against the policies of the union Government.
Sources said these directions have come after the BJP leaders in J&K had taken opposite stand of the center over return of power projects to the state.
To please the coalition partner in Jammu and Kashmir, the BJP leaders in the state have supported of returning power projects to J&K.
The leaders of the BJP in the state are always saying that power projects is an important part of the developmental agenda of the BJP-PDP coalition Government. “As stated in the Agenda of Alliance, in order to address the real source of JK’s fiscal problem and paving way for making JK a fiscally autonomous state, the state will explore modalities for transfer of Dulhasti and Uri hydro power projects to J&K as suggested by the Rangaranjan Committee,” the BJP leaders including Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh has said number of times. While the center where the BJP is in the power has opposite stand on it. The Prime Ministers’ Office, in its first formal response recently, while refusing to back the State’s demand, told The Central BJP leadership has urged the state leaders no to go against party stand.
J&K authorities that it can only explore possibility of making Power Development Corporation (PDC)-owned Baglihar hydro-power project debt-free. Ever since the successive regimes in J&K raised the demand for return of power projects owned by the NHPC in J&K, the Union Power Ministry always cited “constraints” on the issue while rejecting the state’s demand. Earlier, Union Minister for Power, Coal and Renewable Energy, Piyush Goyal has also ruled out transfer of hydro-power projects to the state and refused to increase the power share of the state from the projects run by National Hydro-power Project Corporation (NHPC) in Jammu and Kashmir.
While party’s state leader Nirmal Singh, who is also power minister has been saying that state will work-out with the Centre to secure a share of NHPC emanating from JK waters to the state government. “The centre has told the BJP leaders in J&K not to go against its stand as it creates confusion among the people. The BJP leaders have been told that they have gone soft on various issues but should stick what the party’s stand is. The leaders have also been told either remain silent on controversial issues or support what the union government is saying,” a BJP leader said.