*NC member stages walk-out
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 12: Minister for R&B, Naeem Akhtar today said that many reforms are underway to improve power structure in the State and the overall power supply scenario will improve from next year in the State.
While intervening during the reply to the Question of NC member Qaisar Jamsheed Lone in the Legislative Council today, Naeem Akhtar said it is fact that Kashmir valley is facing electricity problem. He said this problem is old every body knows. The previous Governments did whatever they could but still there is lot to do to improve the supply position. He said many projects have been taken in hands by involving a Central agency to improve power scenario in Kashmir and elsewhere and by next year, the power supply position will certainly improve. He admitted that there is power curtailment in metered and not metered areas and said that officers should adhere to the schedule announced for curtailment.
Earlier, responding to the reply of main question of Lone, Minister of State for Power, Asiea Naqash said that a massive power infrastructure development programme has been launched in J&K under various centrally sponsored flagship schemes to meet the future load growth and to improve the electricity supply qualitatively and quantitatively.
She said that RAPDRP has been launched for renovation and up-gradation of sub-transmission and distribution network and adoption of IT applications for meter reading, billing and energy accounting, adding that Rs 151.59 crore and Rs 1665.27 crore have been sanctioned under Part-A and Part-B, respectively, for 30 identified towns of the State under the scheme.
The Minister further informed that under Prime Minister’s Development Programme, new Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Plan 2015 has framed on the philosophy of 24×7 power for all by 2019 and ensure fiscal autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir. She informed that “Under PMRP-15/PMDP (Distribution) has approved project of Rs 2570.14 crore for strengthening distribution networks of J&KPDD”. She informed that RECPDCL has been engaged for all rural areas of 21 districts and urban areas.
She further added that DPRs have been prepared under DDUGJY for 21 districts of the State and Union Government has approved Rs 616.59 crore for the purpose. She said that 102 un-electrified villages of the State would be covered under DDUGJY and RGGVY-II. A proposal of Rs 21.45 crore and Rs 20.91 crore stands submitted to augment critically overloaded Receiving Stations transformers 29 each in Kashmir and Jammu regions, respectively. An amount of Rs 101.28 crore has been sanctioned for Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda district under RGGVY-II.
Javed Ahmad Mirchail, Aga Syed Mahmood raised supplementary questions.
Agitated Qaiser Jamsheed Lone, who was not satisfied with the reply of the Minister, later staged walk out.
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