Jammu: A senior officer associated with the construction of the 850-MW Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project in Kishtwar district has accused a local BJP MLA of interfering in the works, and warned that continued disruptions could force the company to pull out of the project.
Repeated phone calls and messages to the MLA, Shagun Parihar, seeking comment on the charge went unanswered.
Joint Chief Operating Officer of Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), Harpal Singh, said the firm has invested heavily in machinery, materials and manpower and could suffer substantial losses, including penalties linked to bank guarantees furnished to NHPC if it withdraws from the project.
Stressing that India is a democratic country, the officer said there was no place for such disruptions and underlined that the company maintains a secular character, neither opposing nor supporting any political party.
He said the project should be kept free of politics and the company should be allowed to work without interference. Disruptions and illegitimate demands during the construction of the 133-meter-high dam and an underground power house could compromise its safety and quality, the officer warned.
NHPC Limited, India’s premier hydropower company under the Ministry of Power, has formed Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited, a joint venture company (JVC) with Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Ltd (JKSPDC), for the implementation of the run-of-river hydroelectric plant on the Chenab river at Drabshalla village.
The JVC was incorporated on June 01, 2021, with NHPC and JKSPDC holding equity shares of 51 percent and 49 percent, respectively. The construction work is being undertaken by MEIL.
“We are distressed by the unwarranted interference of the BJP MLA and their workers… We want to undertake the work without any outside interference and have taken up the matter with the authorities concerned,” Singh told PTI.
On December 04, he claimed that certain politicians and their local supporters, who are neither employees nor workers of the project, attempted to pressure and threaten project officers to fulfill illegitimate demands, including the award of contracts and large-scale recruitment, despite there being no vacancies.
“On the same day, the company’s HR head was attacked near Drabshalla while returning to the quarters after duty, creating fear among staff. We took up the issue with the deputy commissioner, and he ensured prompt action, including the registration of a police case against the identified accused,” he said.
A video statement of the officer, along with a letter addressed to the Deputy Commissioner, Kishtwar, giving details of the attack and a ‘notice of appeal’ urging the workers and employees to refrain from participating in any labour strike at the behest of vested interests, has gone viral on social media.
Singh said the company has provided employment to 1,434 people, 960 of them residents of Kishtwar district, 220 from nearby Doda, 24 from Ramban, and 215 from outside Jammu and Kashmir.
“A majority of the workers had no competency and got adjusted under various pulls and pressures and arm-twisting tactics. In September, the Regional Labour Commissioner, Jammu, permitted the retrenchment of 300 surplus workers. The company retrenched only 200, with an undertaking to give them preference in future engagement. Some have been re-engaged on a need basis,” the officer said.
He said that any attempt to intimidate officers or workers is undemocratic and unacceptable. “Continued interference may force the company to withdraw from the project, causing heavy losses, including bank guarantees submitted to NHPC and major investments in machinery and materials.”
“The company appeals to locals not to pursue demands that cannot be fulfilled and to maintain peace and communal harmony,” he said, adding those engaged by the company are receiving Central government-mandated minimum wage, free three-time meals, ambulance services, safety cover and compensation to families of deceased workers.
None of the union members has supported any work stoppage, he said.
Appealing to the local community, district and J&K administration, and the Central government for support, Singh urged people not to waste time on demands that cannot be fulfilled and to avoid derailing the project.
