Dedicating the 800 kv Kishenpur Moga power transmission project to the nation, the minister said here Jammu and Kashmir has a great potential of hydro power generation which should be exploited on a large scale so that the state could feed its own power requirements and also supply the power to the northern grid.

Kumarmangalam said that terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir was an economic problem rather then the law and order problem. He said that if the people of the state were economically sound and the financial position of the state was good, nobody could instigate rerrorism in the state.

He said the state has 15000 mw power generation capacity but only 1170 mw power was generated in the state. The remaining potential has to be exploited, he added. He assured chief minister Farooq Abdullah, who was present on the occcasion, that the Centre would help the state for power projects to tap the vast hydro power resources of Jammu and Kashmir.He said a meeting would be held in New Delhi in which a detailed discussion will be held on the power potential of the state and how it could be utilised. Kumarmangalam said that the Centre will give every help to the state for making power projects functional. He also assured the chief minister that he would ask the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to look into the coal power projects in the state and maximum possible will be done for the welfare of the state.

He stressed the need for checking power theft in the state.