Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 12: Though Jammu and Kashmir is grappling with much difficulties owing to obsolete infrastructure in the power sector, it has yet not shown any keen interest in two major schemes launched by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi with the sole objective of strengthening and upgrading sub-transmission and distribution networks both in urban and rural areas.
The schemes—Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DUGJY) and Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) were launched by Prime Minister on October 16, 2014 for rural and urban areas of the country.
While DUGJY is aimed at feeder separation, strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution networks, metering at all level in the rural areas and village electrification as per the approved guidelines, the IPDS aims at strengthening of sub-transmission and distribution network, metering of distribution transformers, feeders and consumers in the urban areas and Information Technology enablement of distribution sector.
The underlying objectives of these schemes is to ensure uninterrupted and reliably energy access to all. The components of DUGJY are separation of agriculture and non-agriculture feeders facilitating judicious rostering of supply to agricultural and non-agricultural consumers in the rural areas, strengthening and augmentation of sub-transmission and distribution and rural electrification.
Soon after the launch of these schemes, all the States across the country including Jammu and Kashmir were directed to come forward and project their requirements to avail benefit. For DUGJY, Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) and for IPDS, Power Finance Corporation were nominated as nodal agencies.
“Though several States of the country have either started availing benefits of the schemes or about to get assistance in near future, Jammu and Kashmir has yet not initiated the first step in this direction”, official sources told EXCELSIOR.
This can be gauged from the fact that during the past nearly six months, the concerned authorities of the Power Development Department have failed to work out need to be projected before the Union Government, sources said while disclosing that Need Assessment Document (NAD), which is the foremost step before approaching the Nodal Agencies—REC and PFC, has yet not been completed although two nodal officers were appointed for the same.
“It is unfortunate that despite grappling with much difficulties owing to obsolete power sector infrastructure, the issue which is being discussed at various forums after regular intervals, the authorities of State are finding it difficult to come up with the requirement to be projected under the schemes”, they said.
Stating that no time-frame can be specified for J&K availing the benefit of these schemes, sources said, “even after completion of Need Assessment Document many more steps are required to be initiated before finally getting assistance from the Union Government”. After submission of this document to REC and PFC, the Government of India would work out assistance it can provide to the State.
On the basis of information about this aspect, the State will have to prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs), which would be cleared by Distribution Reforms Committee headed by Chief Secretary before being submitted to REC and PFC. These nodal agencies would then place these DPRs before the respective Steering Committees and then allocation would be finalized and release of funds begin.
“The dilly-dallying approach towards availing benefit of two major power sector schemes of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is notwithstanding the tall claims by the present dispensation in Jammu and Kashmir about flagging power sector as priority area”, sources regretted.
Keeping in view this approach, it seems that these two schemes would meet the same fate in Jammu and Kashmir as had been the previous ones and the ground situation would continue to be same and people would continue to suffer.
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