The ordinance, issued by the Law Department, has made amendments to Section 185 of the J&K Water Resources Act-2010 for constitution of a fund for utilisation of water usage charges under a proper account head, an official spokesman said today.
The funds so raised, as per the amended clause, shall be operated upon by the Finance Secretary exclusively for establishing hydel projects, power projects and buying back power projects already established in the state.
It may be recalled that Jammu and Kashmir is getting water usage charges to the tune of Rs 1000 crore from different user agencies since the passing of the J&K Water Resources (Regulation and Management) Act in 2010.
Minister for Irrigation and Flood Control Taj Mohi ud Din has maintained that the money collected as water usage charges would be used for consolidating water and power resources in the state including buying back power projects already in operation like Uri and Salal or taking up some ambitious projects like construction of Ravi canal in Kathua to irrigate 6,500 hectares in five districts.
With the promulgation of the ordinance, the state government can now use the funds raised from water usage charges.