Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the Jammu Development Authority had regularised 31 residential colonies in Jammu, but further regularisation was halted after the High Court stayed the process.
In a written reply to a question raised by BJP MLA Sham Lal Sharma in the Assembly on regularisation of illegal colonies, Abdullah, who also holds charge of the Housing and Urban Development Department, said the regularisation of colonies was carried out in accordance with various government orders issued between 1974 and 2009, besides directions passed by the court in 2010.
“The process of regularisation of residential colonies in Jammu was initiated earlier and 31 colonies have already been regularised by the JDA. However, later on, the said process was stayed by the high court,” he said.
On plans to establish new residential colonies in Jammu, the chief minister said that new colonies would be developed after allotment of land either under a self-financing mode or through the Public-Private Partnership model by agencies including the Jammu Development Authority, Srinagar Development Authority, and Jammu and Kashmir Housing Board, after approval from their respective boards.
Clarifying the status of Janipur Housing Colony, the government said the colony was established in 1973 and developed by Jammu Development Authority, the plots were properly allotted and therefore, no regularisation was required.
Regarding commercial establishments in residential areas of Jammu city, the government said no permission is granted in violation of norms. Abdullah, however, said that around 39 cases were reported between January 1 and December 31, 2025, where residential buildings were converted into commercial establishments within the limits of the Jammu Municipal Corporation.
Abdullah said that the Jammu Municipal Corporation has taken action against the defaulters under the provisions of the Municipal Corporation Act, 2000, and building bye-laws.
‘Over 12.36 lakh smart meters installed in J&K’
The Jammu and Kashmir Government on Wednesday said more than 12.36 lakh smart meters have been installed across the Union Territory, and work is being executed through multiple agencies under centrally sponsored schemes.
In a written reply to a question by Peoples Democratic Party MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Para in the Assembly, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that the total number of smart meters installed across the state stands at 12,36,507.
“Besides, 1,600 smart feeder meters have also been installed on 11 KV feeders across ten districts of the Jammu division,” he said.
Sharing district-wise details, he said, under the Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL), 6,27,492 smart meters have been installed in the Jammu division.
He added that JPDCL also installed 3,04,468 smart metres in Jammu, 58,707 in Samba, 57,320 in Udhampur, 22,591 in Doda, 39,237 in Kathua, 8,742 in Kishtwar, 24,902 in Poonch, 24,870 in Ramban, 25,674 in Reasi and 60,981 in Rajouri.
In the Kashmir division, Omar Abdullah said that 6,09,015 smart meters have been installed under the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL).
It installed 2,39,147 in Srinagar, 37,009 in Budgam, 15,427 in Ganderbal, 33,728 in Bandipora, 87,732 in Baramulla, 24,839 in Kupwara, 50,322 in Pulwama, 18,272 in Shopian, 77,943 in Anantnag and 24,596 in Kulgam, he added.
The chief minister said that the Rural Electrification Corporation Power Development and Consultancy Limited (RECPDCL) has been nominated as the Project Implementation Agency by the Ministry of Power.
The REPDCL will execute smart metering works for JPDCL and KPDCL under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP) and Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
He said that under JPDCL, PMDP Phase-I was awarded to Techno Electric Limited, while Phase-II Lot-A was given to Anvil Cables and Lot-B to Techno Electric Ltd. The RDSS work in JPDCL has been awarded to Genus Power Solutions Ltd.
Similarly, under KPDCL, PMDP Phase-I and Phase-II works have been awarded to Techno Electric and Engineering Co., Ltd., Gurugram, while Phase-II Lot-A has been allotted to Anvil Cables, Kolkata.
The RDSS works in KPDCL have also been awarded to Techno Electric and Engineering Co. Limited, Gurugram, he added.
He clarified that the smart meters being installed in Jammu and Kashmir are not exclusive to the Union Territory and conform to standardised designs and technical specifications prescribed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), which are followed across the country.(PTI)
