Srinagar: A multi-billion rupee hydropower project coming up in Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir has run into trouble after a private company involved in the construction accused the Bhartiya Janta Party’s (BJP's) “local MLA” of stalling the project.

In a notice on Friday (December 12), Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), a Hyderabad-based construction company which was the second biggest purchaser of electoral bonds, alleged that “attempts” were being made to close the Ratle power project which has been identified as a "project of national importance".
The 850-MW hydropower project which is a joint venture of J&K government and NHPC or National Hydroelectric Power Corporation is coming up in Drabshala area of Kishtwar.

Drabshalla falls in Kishtwar assembly constituency from which the new BJP entrant Shagun Parihar was elected in last year’s assembly election. Parihar could not be reached for comment despite repeated attempts.

The saffron party has four out of six MLAs in Doda and Kishtwar districts of Chenab valley, including Shakti Raj Parihar who represents Doda (West) constituency.
Leader of the Opposition in J&K assembly and senior BJP leader Sunil Sharma, who was also elected from Chenab valley, refused to comment about the MEIL's accusations.

The Ratle project has been marred by allegations of political interference involving the BJP for quite some time now with the private company accusing the local saffron party leaders and workers of violating the norms and forcing it to hire inexperienced workers.

According to reports, the project has also been hit by worker management issues since last year. The official car of a senior MEIL official was stoned in Drabshalla earlier this week which seems to have aggravated the crisis.

Without taking names, the MEIL said on Friday that the alleged attempts to close the project were “encouraged by local MLA and few people not on the rolls of the company”.

The notice by Harpal Singh, joint chief operating officer of Ratle power project, said that “discussions and attempts” were being made to organise a labour strike at the project site while warning the employees against taking part in it.

“Any form of strike or work stoppage is strictly prohibited and will be considered a breach of contract. Participation in a strike will lead to serious consequences including but not limited to termination of employment, legal action and suspension of Ratle dam construction for an indefinite period,” it said.

A senior MEIL official said that the construction work was likely to be halted which could impact the May 2026 deadline of the Ratle project.

The MEIL promoters Pamireddy Pitchi Reddy and P.V. Krishna Reddy purchased bonds worth Rs 966 crore, a majority of which were cashed by the BJP.

The run-of-the-river project was approved in 2010 by the then United Progressive Alliance-led (UPA-led) by the Congress and its foundation stone was laid in 2013 by then prime minister Manmohan Singh.

The BJP-led Union government infused substantial capital into the project to showcase the supposed 'turnaround' in Jammu and Kashmir in the aftermath of the reading down of Article 370.

The project achieved a significant breakthrough last year after the MEIL engineers diverted the Chenab river through diversion tunnels to pave the way for excavation activities and dam construction at the project site.

In October 2022, a deadly landslide hit an under-construction tunnel of the power project during excavation work, killing at least four persons while six more workers were rescued in injured conditions.

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