Budget Announcements vs Reality
Avtar Bhat
JAMMU: Though previous State Government had announced various reforms during last budget session to put ailing power sector back on rails, lot needs to be done on ground to improve the performance of this vital sector so that Government’s words can match with actions.
The Government during the 2015 budget session announced various steps to reform the power sector, however, some of these announcements have not been fulfilled during the last 10 months of previous coalition Government in office.
But the 10 months can not be said a big period on which performance of any Government and the outcome of the reforms can be judged, yet it can be a roadmap to gauge in which direction these reforms are leading the State.
The present coalition has shown keenness in reforming the power sector from the day one it assumed office. The former Minister of Finance Haseeb Drabu during budget speech in State Assembly announced to provide 24×7 quality, reliable and affordable power to all domestic, commercial and industrial consumers. Though previous Government had calimed that various schemes were in pipeline for improving power supply and fulfill the commitment, it seems that lot needs to be done to make it a reality.
However, to turn the commitment into reality the former Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh holding the Power and Urban Development Ministries spared no time in launching these reforms on ground by initiating various schemes.
Moreover, some drastic steps were taken by the PDD in this regard which includes speeding up of the implementation of Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R_APDRP). IRCON and EME which were executing this flagship programme had been given directives by the previous Government to speed up and meet the dead line of March 2016. The Government claimed that the progress is on the desired lines and till now two sub stations have already been inaugurated in Greater Kailash and Gadigarh areas of Gandhi Nagar Constituency of Jammu while a project for providing 24X7 power supply to tourist destinations in the State has been initiated and in the first instance base town of Shri Mata Vaishno Devi Shrine Katra is being provided the 24×7 power supply.
About the 24×7 power supply, the erstwhile Government had claimd that for the first time Industrial areas in Jammu region have been provided 24X7 hour power supply. The organized industrial sector in the State has been provided the 24×7 power supply except Digiana, admits Anil Suri president Industrial Association.
He said the main problem with Digiana Industrial Estate is that Dedicated Industrial Feeder is not there and the complex is supplied power from Shastri Nagar Receiving Station which is a domestic feeder. However, the authorities in PDD are on job to settle this issue too. As per official sources the Department has taken up various schemes in hand in this regard which included construction of receiving stations, installation of new small transformers, laying of Arial Bunched Cables (ABC) etc. The AB Cables have been laid in various localities and after the accomplishment of the task the hooks will not be laid on cables which will reduce the power theft and increase the revenue generation also. With the installation of small transformers for Mohallas the load assessment will be easily made and there will be no dispute between the consumers and department. The Department is on the job in this regard and 15 to 20 percent work has been done also, official sources said.
The keenness shown by the former coalition Government to reform power sector can be gauged from the fact that the ex-Deputy Chief Minster soon after assuming office made a surprise check at Central Workshop where the transformers are being repaired and he found after hearing complaints from the public that 63 kg transformer weighs 15 kg less. The former Deputy CM also informed the Assembly during debate on grants of his Ministry that he found during checking that 63 kg transformer was weighing 15 kg less and this was the reason that the transformers were not bearing the load as per the capacity they were designed to and so often developed a snag.
Though this is major scam involving top officials of PDD but it is not known that whether this practice has stopped or it continues still and what drastic steps the previous Government has taken to stop this practice once and for all.
Another commitment which the then Government fulfilled with domestic and agriculture consumers is surcharges over the accrued bills has been waived off and they can deposit their bills up to March 2016. Electricity duty has been reduced from 22 percent to 16 percent to provide a succor to the consumers under amnesty scheme. Under this scheme the consumers would get a relief of Rs 250 crore.
To electrify the un -electrified rural areas the State Government had submitted a project of Rs 1250 crore to Centre under Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Jyoti Yojna (DDUJY) and an amount of over Rs 600 crore has been receive by it.
However, as per the experts and engineers the supply of 24×7 power supply will continue to remain a distant dream till the Government does not exploit the natural resources of water for power generation in the State. The other reforms will only work when the supply will match the demand.
Another major commitments which the previous State Government has made during the budget session in power sector is establishment of Skill Development Institute on the name of Late Amar Nath Bhagat, who was martyred for the cause of erstwhile Doda district. Though Prime Minister had to lay foundation of the institute this year, it could not materialize for certain reasons. However the then Government was showing its commitment for its establishment saying the project has been approved to provide training to students from the adjoining areas in power generation related jobs.
Commissioning of Baglihar Power Project is also being considered one of the achievements by the previous led coalition Government. The Department claims to have repaired the Chutak Power Project in Kargil and process of Sewa Hydel project privatization has been initiated. The Department also claims to have contained the A&T loses and reduced from 61 percent to 55 percent and efforts are on to bring them further down.
One of the major achievements of this Government was the presentation of separate power budget last year the practice of which was earlier started by previous Mufti Government in 2003 and it was later abandoned by former Finance Minister A R Rather. This decision seems to go a long way in giving impetus to the power sector in the State.
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