Jammu Kashmir’s Ratle Power Project Faces Fresh Uncertainty as Contractor Alleges BJP Interference | Kashmir Life

SRINAGAR: One of Jammu and Kashmir’s most troubled infrastructure ventures, the 850-megawatt Ratle Hydroelectric Power Project in Kishtwar, has been pushed into renewed uncertainty after its executing agency alleged sustained political interference, warning that continued disruptions could force it to halt work or even exit the project.

Hyderabad-based Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), which is constructing the Rs 3,700 crore project on the Chenab river, has accused local BJP MLA Shagun Parihar of pressuring the company over recruitment and contract decisions. Harpal Singh, joint chief operating officer of MEIL and the official in charge of the Ratle project, said the project, originally scheduled for completion by September 2026, is already delayed by nearly two years and could now slip further to November 2028.

Singh claimed that terms agreed upon at the time of awarding the contract in 2022 have become “unworkable” due to what he described as continued interference by local politicians and indiscipline by their supporters. He said MEIL has formally informed NHPC that the revised completion timeline itself may not hold if disruptions persist.

The New Ratle Debate

Tensions escalated sharply on December 4, when the company’s human resources head was allegedly intercepted and assaulted near Joshana village while returning from the project site. Singh said an FIR was registered after the incident was reported to the police and the Kishtwar Deputy Commissioner, and five persons allegedly involved were terminated by the company. Since then, he alleged, non-employees, including political workers, have been threatening project officials and labourers, demanding jobs and contracts.

MEIL has also issued an internal advisory cautioning workers against participating in strikes or work stoppages, warning that such actions would be treated as breach of contract and could invite termination, legal action and suspension of construction work.

Rejecting allegations that locals were being sidelined, Singh said the company had employed 1,434 local workers, including 960 from Kishtwar district and 220 from neighbouring Doda. He, however, maintained that a large number of workers lacked the required skills or were unwilling to perform assigned duties, adding that only 200 workers were retrenched in September after due permission from labour authorities, with an assurance that they could be re-engaged if required.

Singh warned that political pressure and repeated work disruptions during construction of the 133-metre-high dam at Drabshalla and the underground powerhouse could compromise both safety and quality. He said the project must be kept insulated from politics to protect public investment and local employment.

MLA Shagun Parihar strongly denied the allegations, describing them as “irresponsible” and an attempt to deflect attention from the company’s own failures. She said any grievances should have been taken to NHPC, the district administration or the Lieutenant Governor instead of being aired publicly. Parihar accused MEIL officials of irregular recruitment practices and alleged that retrenched local workers, including land-losers, were denied statutory benefits.

The controversy has also exposed divisions among labour groups. While the Bhawan Nirman Mazdoor Sangh, a workers’ union at the project, wrote to the Union and UT governments alleging interference by “unauthorised individuals” and warning against disruption of work, another group, led by Kisan Mazdoor Union president Sanjay Parihar, accused the company of reneging on a settlement to re-engage 38 retrenched local workers and threatened legal agitation.

The Ratle project has a long history of setbacks. Conceived in 2008 as a state-sector project under the Jammu and Kashmir Power Development Corporation Limited, it was later awarded to GVK Industries, with L&T executing initial works. Construction stalled in 2014 after local protests forced engineers to abandon the site, prompting the government to restructure the project as a joint venture with the Centre.

In 2021, NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation Limited formed the Ratle Hydroelectric Power Corporation Limited, with NHPC holding 51 per cent equity. MEIL emerged as the lowest bidder and was awarded the construction contract in April 2022. The Union Cabinet had approved the project in January 2021 at an estimated cost of over Rs 5,281 crore.

With allegations and counter-allegations flying, and memories of past disruptions still fresh, the latest standoff has raised serious concerns over the future of a project widely seen as critical to Jammu and Kashmir’s power security and economic prospects.