In a letter dated November 1, the Jammu and Kashmir Police stated that 29 persons with alleged “terror or criminal” histories had been hired at the under-construction Ratle project in Kishtwar, raising serious security concerns.
File Photo: IANS
The controversy surrounding the strategic Ratle hydroelectric project in J&K’s Kishtwar has taken a new turn following the emergence of a startling police communication warning that as many as 29 individuals with “terror or criminal” backgrounds have been employed at the project.
In a letter dated November 1, the Jammu and Kashmir Police stated that 29 persons with alleged “terror or criminal” histories had been hired at the under-construction Ratle project in Kishtwar, raising serious security concerns.
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“As per the report of the concerned SHOs, the employees/workers of the Mega Pvt Ltd HEP Ratle, Drabshala, as mentioned in the enclosed list at Annexure ‘A’, are found involved in subversive/anti-national activities,” the letter said.
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The letter, written by Naresh Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Kishtwar, noted that one employee, Mohammad Iqbal, is the brother of Mohammad Amin alias Jahangir Saroori, an active terrorist of the Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) outfit in Kishtwar.
Saroori’s cousin, Shamas Din, is also employed at the power project. Another employee, Mohammad Nair, is the son of a surrendered militant, Abdul Kalam Mattoo.
The communication, addressed to Megha Engineering and Infrastructure Limited (MEIL), the firm executing the 850-MW Chenab River project, adds a sensitive dimension to the escalating war of words between BJP MLA Shagun Parihar and MEIL’s chief operating officer, Harpal Singh.
Notably, the ₹3,700-crore project has faced repeated delays and interference from Pakistan since its inception in 2008.
Harpal Singh had earlier accused Parihar of allegedly interfering in the long-stalled project, claiming that she had pressured the company to hire people from Kishtwar after winning the 2024 elections there.
Parihar, who has previously accused the company of hiring questionable individuals, said the letter “vindicated” her allegations.
“By engaging these employees, the security of the power project gets compromised, as these individuals have militancy links/criminal backgrounds,” SSP Singh added, urging MEIL to reconsider their employment.
The MEIL COO acknowledged that he had responded to the letter only last week, assuring the J&K Police that the company would monitor any suspicious activity, though he was hesitant to retrench the 29 employees.
He noted that an earlier attempt by the company to retrench 200 employees had backfired badly.
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