Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Mar 29: Congress Legislature Party (CLP) leader, Nawang Rigzin Jora today alleged discrimination with Ladakh region in the power sector.
Every district has been provided Rs one crore for strengthening of Transmission and Distribution network but Leh and Kargil districts have been given only Rs 50 lakh, Mr Jora said, adding “somebody in the Power Development Department particularly in the planning section is discriminating with Ladakh region for unknown reasons”, he said.
Participating in the discussion on grants of Power Development Department, the CLP leader urged the Deputy Chief Minister, who is holding the portfolio of Power Development Department to have RGVVY Phase II approved for Leh district with provision for power evacuation for Nubra and Changthang region.
He also reminded Deputy Chief Minister that the transmission line connecting Leh with Northern Grid was launched with much fanfare by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi although provision for funds was kept by UPA-2 in 2013-14 budget but Power Grid Corporation of India Limited has yet not started even the preliminary work.
Mr Jora said that J&K has been facing operating deficit of nearly Rs 3900 crore due to huge gap between expenditure on power purchase and revenue receipts. “It would be fair to say that every unit of power is being subsidized roughly to the extent of Rs 2.50”, he said and asked can the State sustain this level of subsidy. “Sooner we realize this and take measures to bring about a turnaround, the better it would be for the well being of the State”, he added.
Stating that new dispensation doesn’t have anything extraordinary to do, Mr Jora said, “all that they have to do is to follow the electricity plan that has been put in place as per the Electricity Act 2010 and duly submitted to SERC and Central Electricity Authority by our Government”.
“Unless the work on augmentation of transmission and distribution network is carried out, the capacity addition in generation which is likely to be achieved by the end of 12th five year plan will be of no use”, he said and urged the State Government to pursue with PGCIL capacity augmentation in 400kv/ 200 kv level.
“Alongside this you have to vigorously pursue R-APDRP which already stands approved for 33 towns to strengthen the distribution network at the level of distribution transformer, feeders, LT and other distribution equipment”, the CLP leader said, adding “IT tools must be harnessed for meter reading, billing , collection and energy accounting and auditing”.
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