*Work on various projects to be further expedited
Roadmap to be worked out for curbing pilferage
Sanjeev Pargal
JAMMU, Dec 5: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha met Union Power Minister RK Singh in New Delhi during which he is reported to have discussed the power scenario in Jammu and Kashmir, steps to provide 24×7 electricity supply to people of the UT, installation of Smart and pre-paid meters in the cities and pace of work on ongoing power projects.
The meeting lasted an hour and there was threadbare discussion on various power related issues in Jammu and Kashmir, sources told the Excelsior.
While there was no official word on the meeting, reliable sources said the issues pertaining to electricity supply and expediting work on various Central power projects were taken up and the Power Minister was very positive on almost all the issues.
“The Jammu and Kashmir Government has taken the initiative to provide 24×7 reliable power supply to people of the Union Territory. This will be a major step in development of the UT post abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution of India on August 5, 2019 as earlier there used to be prolonged power cuts especially during summer in Jammu division and winter in Kashmir when load is at its peak,” sources said, adding the Union Power Ministry has assured full assistance to J&K Government in achieving the milestone.
Only yesterday while speaking in a function of national Hindi news channel, the Lieutenant Governor had announced that the Jammu and Kashmir Government was working in the direction of providing 24×7 power supply to people of the Union Territory.
Sources said Jammu and Kashmir has been facing major problem on account of gap between revenue generation and power supply bill. Earlier, the power supply bill was almost three times more than the revenue realized from the consumers but following drive launched by the Power Development Department, the gap has narrowed down a bit but not to the extent the Government wants.
“The Union Power Ministry and Jammu and Kashmir administration will work out a roadmap on ensuring 24×7 electricity supply to the people,” the sources said.
They added that work on various power projects under execution in Jammu and Kashmir is also understood to have come up for review during the meeting the Lieutenant Governor had with the Union Power Minister.
Several power projects are under execution in Doda, Kishtwar and Ramban districts over river Chenab in Jammu region, the work on which is being executed by various agencies including National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC).
“Both the Central and Jammu and Kashmir Governments want the projects to meet timelines which will help the Union Territory in meeting its power requirements and lessen dependence on other resources,” the sources said.
The Power Development Department has also been installing Smart and pre-paid meters in the cities, to begin with..
“The step is aimed at checking pilferage of the electricity,” sources said.
Check on power pilferage, as per the sources, will lessen the power cuts in Jammu and Kashmir.
Earlier, there used to be massive power cuts in Jammu region when summer is at its peak and in Kashmir during winter especially at the time of snowfall.
The Government has claimed that it has succeeded in providing relief to quite an extent to the people when the power is most required in the Union Territory.
Only yesterday, the Lieutenant Governor had stated that people of the Kashmir valley have for the first time seen power and snowfall simultaneously.
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