Highest T&D, AT&C losses in J&K

Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 4: Government today admitted that J&K was one of the highest T&D as well as AT&C losses making State in the country but said  it has been able to bring it down from 72.68% in 2011-12 to about 59% in 2015-16.
In a written reply to a question of MLA Shakti Raj Parihar in Lower House, Minister Incharge Power said to plug these losses and bring them to national level for the betterment of common consumers, various flagship programmes are currently under execution/ in pipeline.
“These flagship programmes mainly focus on the upgradation and strengthening of the transmission and distribution system in the State, once these flagship programmes are implemented, the consumers will get reliable and quality power supply and AT&C losses will also be reduced to 15% by 2019-20,” the Minister said.
The Minister stated that Ministry of Power, GoI had launched Restructured Accelerated Power development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) in July 2008 to cover urban areas, towns and cities with population of more than 30,000 (10,000 in case of special category States like J&K).
A total amount of Rs. 1817.26 crores was sanctioned under R-APDRP in J&K including 987 crores for Srinagar division and Rs. 830 crore for Jammu division, the Minister said.
In a written reply to another question of MLA Mohammad Akram in Lower House, the Minister said 100% consumer metering is top priority of the department. Presently, across the State 55% of consumers are metered and 8,19,835 are un metered consumers mostly in domestic sector, to achieve 100% metering procurement of about 2.50 lac metres by P&MM wing of the department is under process for which bids have already being sanctioned, the Minister stated.
He further said that installation of about 6,11,566 numbers of metres under various flagship programmes have already been earmarked and are under implementation. “Help of Central agencies like REC, PGCIL, DGS&D, PFA etc is also being sought for completion of 100% in the State,” said the Minister.
In another question of MLA Gagan Bhagat, the Minister Incharge Power  said that under IPDS, Rs 202.27 crore would be utilized for upgrading of power infrastructure in Jammu region, while as Rs 222.22 crore in Kashmir region and Rs 20.01 crore in  the Ladakh region. The process of tendering is under progress.
The Minister said that under IPDS Rs 5.64 crore would be expended for upgradion of power infrastructure in RS Pura constituency.
The Minister further said that under DDUGJY, Rs 231.45 crore would be expended in Jammu region, Rs 293.30 crore in Kashmir and Rs 91.86 crore in the Ladakh region. The Minister stated that under DDUGJY Rs 32.41 crore have been approved to be incurred in RS Pura for upgradion of power infrastructure.
“The up-gradation of transformer, repair workshop has been taken up in RS Pura constituency also. Rs 90.10 lakhs have been expended on up-gradation of workshop ending March 2016, while as Rs 12.50 lakhs are being spent during the current fiscal,” he added.
The Minister said that 1417 distribution transformers were repaired at central workshop Jammu and 2050 transformers repaired at divisional workshop Miran Sahib during last financial year. Rs 30.63 lacs have been utilized under CDF in RS Pura constituency for up-gradation of various power infrastructures, said the Minister.
“The manpower in the Power and Development Department is being recruited through recruitment agencies strictly in accordance with the recruitment rules. The contractual employees are being regularized under the provisions of J&K Civil Services Act 2010. The need based employees are being regularized as per policy in vogue,” the Minister added.

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