JAMMU: The Administrative Council (AC) which met here under the Chairmanship of Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha authorized the Board of Directors (BoD) of Jammu & Kashmir Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (JKPTCL) to take up the Critical Intra-State Transmission Projects estimated cost of Rs1190 Cr through Tariff Based Competitive Bidding (TBCB) route in the UT.
Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar, Advisor to the Lieutenant Governor; Atal Dulloo, Chief Secretary; Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to LG attended the meeting.
These projects include Grid Station at an estimate cost of Rs. 99.20 Crores at upcoming Industrial Estate of Bhagthali, DisttKathua. Besides Bhagthali, the other two projects approved for execution under TBCB route are Laying of Downstream Transmission Network from upcoming 400 /220 kV Grid Sub-station Siot, Rajouri (ISTS) with an estimated cost of Rs. 790 Crores and construction of Grid Sub-Station at Wahipora and Sallar, Kashmir and allied transmission system within estimate cost of Rs. 300 Crores. Union Power Ministry officials in various review meetings have advised the UT Government to execute transmission projects through TBCB/ JV mode.
Moreover, in the draft of new Electricity Policy, it has been mentioned that all future intra-state transmission projects shall be developed through competitive bidding process except for the projects having an estimated capital expenditure below a threshold limit, and projects of strategic importance as decided by the State Government.
Finance Department has also advised PDD to utilize PMC for 2 of the 3 projects and execute 1 project using the model TBCB document on its own. This will help in building internal expertise.
AC also authorized JKPTCL to engage Power Finance Corporation Consulting Limited (PFCCL) or any other CPSU authorized by Ministry of Power as Bid Process Coordinator (BPC) on nomination basis for undertaking the above said transmission projects through TBCB route.
Professional charges payable to the CPSU engaged as BPC may be decided by JKPTCL through limited tender enquiry amongst eligible CPSUs while adhering to the guidelines of TBCB issued by Ministry of Power.

KR Desk