Jammu, March 27 Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Friday that a draft J&K hydropower policy 2025 has been framed and placed in the public domain for stakeholder feedback.
In response to a question by member Javaid Iqbal in the assembly on harnessing small rivers and providing cheaper electricity locally, Abdullah said, "The draft J&K hydropower policy 2025 has been framed based on learnings from the past and the outcomes of previous policies. Best practices from neighboring states have also been incorporated."
"The draft has been put in the public domain for comments and suggestions from various stakeholders and the general public. After careful consideration of the inputs, the policy will be finalized and notified."
The policy aims to promote the development of small hydropower projects by attracting private investment into the sector, generating employment, and boosting local socio-economic conditions, he said.
Under the proposed policy, the chief minister said that developers will be required to supply free power or royalty to the UT after a specified period of commercial operation, which would reduce the government's power purchase costs and benefit consumers across the region.
"The supply of free power by IPPs to J&K reduces the overall cost of purchasing electricity and consequently benefits the power consumers of the entire UT," he added.