Omar for financially self-reliant Jammu and Kashmir
April 24th, 2012 - 11:42 pm ICT by IANSJammu, April 24 (IANS) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Tuesday declared that the state’s “financial self-reliance” was the main aim of his government.
Abdullah, who is also working president of the ruling National Conference, the party demanding restoration of greater autonomy to the state, said that his government had started making moves in this direction and referred to realization of Rs.550 crore as water usage charges from the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC).
He was addressing a public meeting in Kalkote area of Rajouri district, about 150 km north of Jammu, where he raised the issue of “financial self reliance”. His government has levied the water usage charges on the NHPC, which is operating major power projects, like Salal, Dul Hasti, Uri in Jammu and Kashmir.
“My government aims at making the state financially self reliant. So many initiatives have been taken in this regard,” he said referring to the water usage tax imposed on power companies by his government.
Earlier, the NHPC was giving only 12 percent of power generated from each of the power projects as royalty to the state.
The state government is mostly dependent upon the Centre for funding as its total revenue through tax collection is Rs.4,800 crore only.
Abdullah thanked the union government for extending “liberal financial support to the state government in its endeavour to ensure equitable development in all sectors and in all regions of the state”.
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- High court permits usage of water cess levied on NHPC - Mar 31, 2012
- NHPC never had ownership rights over power projects: Kashmir - Jan 10, 2012
- Kashmir minister lambasts NHPC for 'resource drainage' - Jun 06, 2011
- Kashmir focuses on smaller hydroelectric projects - Oct 19, 2011
- Kashmir reviews terms of NHPC-run power projects - Jan 03, 2012
- Kashmir power projects to be allotted through tenders - Mar 06, 2010
- Omar visits snow-hit Jammu region - Jan 09, 2012
- Omar government telling lies, claims Mehbooba - Oct 29, 2011
- Abdullah promises special energy plan for Jammu and Kashmir - Jun 12, 2009
- PDP slams centre's power policy in Kashmir - Dec 01, 2009
- Jammu and Kashmir unhappy, with no sops in budget - Mar 16, 2012
Tags: april 24, autonomy, crore, endeavour, equitable development, hydro electric power, initiatives, jammu and kashmir, kashmir, kashmir chief minister, nhpc, power projects, realization, royalty, sectors, self reliance, state government, union government, usage charges, water usage