Avinash Azad
MLA Waheed Ul Rehman Parra put the J&K government on notice in the Legislative Assembly on Monday, grilling it over the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation’s (NHPC) Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) contributions in the region.
His pointed question demanded transparency on the total funds allocated, location-specific activities, and expenditures incurred.
The government’s response revealed that NHPC earmarked Rs. 28.674 crore for CSR in J&K for the 2024-25 financial year—barely a fraction of its pan-India CSR budget of Rs. 167.93 crore. It disclosed spending of Rs. 16.65 crore in 2021-22 and Rs. 16.23 crore in 2023-24 on unspecified CSR activities in the Union Territory.
However, the lack of detail on locations and projects has sparked outrage, with critics accusing the government and NHPC of opacity. “Where’s the money going?” Parra is said to have pressed, amplifying public frustration over unaccounted benefits in a region long exploited for its hydropower potential.
