‘All JK households to be electrified by Nov 30’
24x7 power supply to be assured during major festivals, winters, exam time
Srinagar, Sep 06: Government on Thursday said that all household in the state will be electrified by November-end, while as uninterrupted power supply will be ensured during the winters.
This was revealed in a meeting held under the chairmanship of Governor Satya Pal Malik at SKICC here today wherein Union Minister of State for Power, R K Singh took a detailed review of the J&K’s power sector.
B B Vyas, Advisor to Governor; BVR Subrahmanyam, Chief Secretary, J&K; Dr PV Ramesh, CMD REC; K B Agarwal, Chairman, CVPPL; Navin Kumar Choudhary, Principal Secretary Finance; Rohit Kansal, Principal Secretary Planning; Hirdesh Kumar, Commissioner-Secretary, Power Development Department; Sheikh Fayaz, Secretary, Science & Technology, Joint Secretary Distribution, Ministry of Power, senior executives of Central PSUs; PGCIL, RECPDCL, RECPTCL, officers from State PSUs; JKSPDC, CVPPPL-and senior officers of the Power Development Department attended the meeting.
Commissioner-Secretary, PDD, Hirdesh Kumar made a detailed presentation on the implementation of the flagship programme Saubhagya (Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana). He also gave an overall picture of the generation, transmission and distribution plans of the state and the implementation status of various hydroelectric projects being implemented by JKSPDC and CVPPL.
Commissioner-Secretary PDD informed that the state has achieved 100 percent electrification of un-electrified villages before the stipulated timeline of 30th April, 2018. He further informed that out of 3.82 lakh un-electrified households as on October 10, 2017, 1.19 lakh households have been electrified till date and the remaining households shall be electrified by 30th November 2018.
In the last 20 days alone, 60,000 households have been electrified and at this rate, the department is confident of electrifying all remaining 2.6 lakh households by 30th November, 2018, the meeting was informed.
The Union Power Minister was further informed of the progress under Centrally Sponsored Schemes of DDUGJY, IPDS, RGGVY-II and PMDP, of which work on 150 projects have been completed and in 153 projects work is in progress.
The Union Minister expressed satisfaction over the implementation of Saughagya scheme and complimented the state for planning to achieve 100 percent electrification of households. He also expressed satisfaction on the progress of household electrification and implementation of other centrally sponsored schemes.
The Governor and Union Power Minister stressed upon RECPDCL that the work on smart/pre-paid metering should be immediately tendered and installation of the envisaged 9 lakh prepaid meters and 2 lakh smart meters should be completed on priority to reduce the huge AT&C losses and improve collection efficiency.
The Union Minister asked Commissioner-Secretary, PDD that those areas where bill payment is high should be provided power supply 24×7. This would be a reward for these areas.
Further, the Union Minister stressed the need to increase the generation capacity in the state owing to the vast hydro power potential of approximately 20,000 MW in the state.
Chief Secretary informed that the state government has decided to take up development of 850 MW Ratle Hydroelectric Project through a Joint Venture between the centre and the state government. It was also informed that CVPPPL is developing 1000 MW Pakal Dul and 624 MW Kiru and 540 MW Kawar HEPs. The Union Minister agreed to help expedite the work on these projects.
Towards reforming the power sector, the meeting was informed that the state has made J&K Tradeco Operational. The step will save penalties on power purchase bills due to late payment and provide opportunity for incentive for timely payments
It was also informed that steps towards demand side management have been taken by way of replacing energy inefficient incandescent lamps with 9 watt LED lamps. Against target of 80 lakh lamps, 79.6 Lakh lamps have been distributed till date at subsidized rates and the scheme has been extended upto March, 2019 so that more consumers get benefitted by reduction in the energy bill of the consumers and improve AT&C losses.
Governor stressed close monitoring of all the projects under implementation and directed the PDD to ensure close inter-departmental co-ordination, particularly with Central PSUs which are implementing agencies, e.g. PGCIL, RECPDCL and RECTPCL, and directed them to complete all these works well before the envisaged time limit of 24 months.
The Governor and Union Power Minister desired that the vision of state PDD for achieving 24×7 power supply in the entire state should be achieved well before 2019 and also stressed upon achieving 100 percent electrification of households before 30th November, 2018.
The Governor also directed that on the eve of festivals like Eid, Muharram, Diwali, Gurupurab etc and during the examination of children and winters, 24X7, power supply should be made available. The Union Minister assured that full demand of power requirement of J&K shall be made available.
Guv stresses harnessing flagship central schemes to improve power scenario
Union Power Minister lauds state’s performance in coverage of unelectrified villages
Srinagar, Sep 06: Governor Satya Pal Malik today called for taking maximum benefit from the flagship power sector schemes of the Government of India to ensure tangible improvement in electricity supply to the consumers in the State.
“With adequate central funding available under various schemes for universal power coverage, the state’s Power Development Department (PDD) should take every measure to extend electricity supply to the remotest corners of the state,” Governor said while jointly reviewing with the Union Minister of State for Power (Independent Charge), R K Singh progress on implementation of flagship central power sector schemes in the State at a high-level meeting at SKICC here today.
Governor desired that PDD should make judicious and timely use of the available funds to ensure augmentation of power generation and upgradation of transmission and distribution network in the State.
He desired that PDD should ensure uninterrupted power supply especially during festivals and examinations of the students in the areas which are facing recurrent power woes. He asked the PDD to ensure round-the-clock electricity supply to at least such areas which are covered under cent percent metering and where the revenue realization is above 95 percent.
Speaking on the occasion, Union Power Minister complimented the Jammu and Kashmir Government for making remarkable progress over the past few months in meeting targets on electrification of unelectrified villages. He said the encouraging momentum needs a renewed push to ensure tangible overall improvement in electricity supply scenario through upgradation of basic power infrastructure in the State.
“Pestering power crisis has been one of the major areas of concern in J&K and the Central Government is ready to walk extra mile by way of whatever support is needed to end this lingering problem in the State,” he said.
The Union Minister called for expediting the measures to overcome the power scarcity in the State with a sense of urgency and in a coordinated manner. He underlined the need for upgrading overall power infrastructure in a time-bound manner with focus on augmenting generation in the state sector, improving transmission and distribution network, bringing down T&D losses and expeditious completion of on-going schemes. At the same time, he said, concerted efforts should be made to improve revenue realization and check pilferages through technological interventions including installation of smart metres.
The Minister said that it was heartening to note that individual domestic consumers in J&K are the biggest contributors to the state’s power revenues.
He said the endeavour of the Government of India to provide electricity to every household by March 2019 and it is satisfying to note that Jammu and Kashmir is ahead of schedule in achieving the targets. He called for giving wide publicity to the achievements in this regard through print and electronic media so that the people across the country know about the impressive performance of J&K Government on this front. He ordered release of Rs 200 crore to J&K for meeting the immediate requirements under SAUBHAGYA scheme.
The Union Minister assured adequate funds for replacement of outlived power infrastructure, adding that efficient infrastructure is must for efficient energy and directed the Commissioner/Secretary PDD, J&K to immediately undertake such exercise and carryout upgradation of worn-out infrastructure.
To give grid connectivity to Gurez and Tulail Valleys, the Union Minister also given his approval for undertaking a double circuit 132kV line on tower structures from Bandipora to Dawarin Gurez and single circuit 132kV line from Dawarto Tulail and two no. 132/33kV sub stations, 20 MVA each at Gurez and Tulail under PMDP at a tentative cost of Rs. 294.63 Cr as proposed by the State Government.
Commissioner/Secretary Power, Hirdesh Kumar Singh in power point presentation gave overview of the status of on-going projects. He informed that all 102 un-electrified villages have been electrified before the stipulated timeline under DDUGJY and RGGVY XII thus covered over 98 per cent villages and rest will be covered by ending December, 2018, he added.
It was informed that under R-APDRP Rs. 504.54 crore were received out of which Rs 367. 88 crore spent till 31-08-2018. Similarly, under IPDS Rs 37.99 crore were received out of which Rs 6.33 crore incurred. Under IPDS (PMDP-Urban), Rs 327.67 crore received and Rs 11.42 spent. Under DDUGJY an amount of Rs 117.29 crore received and Rs 40.41 crore spent. Under SAUBHAGYA Rs 34.02 received and Rs 21.55 spent. Under DDUGJY (PMDP-Rural) an amount of Rs. 179.75 crore received and Rs. 12.89 crore by ending August, 2018.
Kashmir Images is an English language daily newspaper published from Srinagar (J&K), India. The newspaper is one of the largest circulated English dailies of Kashmir and its hard copies reach every nook and corner of Kashmir Valley besides Jammu and Ladakh region.
