New Delhi: Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Jammu & Kashmir President and Member of Parliament (Rajya Sabha), Sat Sharma, asked an unstarred question in the Rajya Sabha concerning the strengthening of power infrastructure in Jammu & Kashmir.
In his question, Sat Sharma sought to know whether the Government has identified the reasons behind frequent power cuts in Jammu & Kashmir during winter months, the steps taken to mitigate these outages, and the measures being implemented to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply in the region.
Responding to the question, the Minister of State for Power, Shripad Naik, informed the House that electricity distribution falls under the purview of the respective State or Union Territory. As per the report of the UT of J&K, the primary reasons for winter power cuts include constraints in transmission and distribution systems, alongside unrestricted energy consumption in unmetered areas.
The Minister further highlighted that the Government of India has been consistently supporting Jammu & Kashmir through various flagship schemes aimed at strengthening power infrastructure. Under schemes such as Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS), and Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), projects worth ₹2,909 crore were executed in the region. Additionally, under the Prime Minister Development Package (PMDP), projects worth ₹2,780 crore have been completed to enhance distribution systems and infrastructure.
He also informed that under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), projects worth over ₹6,000 crore have been sanctioned for Jammu & Kashmir, focusing on loss reduction, smart metering, and overall system efficiency.
To further ease the power situation during winters, the Ministry allocates additional electricity from central generating stations each year. For the current winter season, 120 MW unallocated power from Patratu Thermal Power Plant, and 292.99 MW power from NTPC Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station, were allocated to Jammu & Kashmir, from October 2025 to February 2026.
Sat Sharma emphasized that sustained efforts and effective implementation of these initiatives are crucial to ensure reliable and quality power supply for the people of Jammu & Kashmir, especially during the harsh winter months. He also appreciated the commitment of the Government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi for its focused approach towards reforming and modernizing the power sector across the country, stating that such proactive initiatives are steadily strengthening infrastructure and improving service delivery in regions like Jammu & Kashmir.
