‘Working on 360-degree alert security’
* Power infra projects worth Rs 192 cr inaugurated
Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 27: Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today said that 40 per cent of the population of Jammu and Kashmir will have to pay no property tax and the remaining 60 per cent have to pay a nominal amount with maximum Rs 1000 per annum.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a function at the SKICC here in Srinagar, Sinha said that J&K residents will have to pay lowest tax on their properties and that concerns of common man have been duly taken care of while formulating the law. He said that the tax amount fixed is one-tenth of the tax being paid by the people in Shimla, Ambala and Dehradun.
“People will have to pay the lowest property tax. If we compare Shimla, Ambala and Dehradun with J&K, the UT has to pay only 1/10th of these States which is very low,” he said.
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“We have 520000 houses in Jammu, Srinagar and other Municipal Committees out of which 206000 fall below 1000 square feet which means 40 percent will not have to pay property tax. Further, we have 203600 houses that fall below 1500 square feet. Such houses have to pay maximum Rs 1000 annually as property tax”, he added.
He said similarly there are 101000 shops in Jammu, Srinagar and other areas falling under MCs out of which 46 percent shops fall below 100 square feet. “Shops below 100 sq ft will have to pay Rs 700 maximum annually on account of property tax,” the LG clarified, adding that 30000 shops have to pay less than Rs 2000 annually.
“I urge the common people of J&K to come forward and help build a better J&K,” he said.
The LG termed the killing of Kashmir Pandit in Pulwama, as unfortunate and said the tragic incident deserves condemnation from all quarters in one voice.
“Those involved in the killing would be dealt as per law. Security forces are there and they will chase the perpetrators of the crime,” he said.
Sinha said such incidents inflict sense of insecurity sometimes but they are working on 360-degree alert security apparatus to foil such designs in future. “The situation today is much better but we are working towards making it a model situation,” he added.
An official handout said:- Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha today inaugurated power infrastructure projects worth Rs 192 crores.
The 25 projects inaugurated included 22 receiving stations costing Rs 50 cr; Smart Metering project costing Rs 62.88 cr & Smart Metering App – Smart Bill Sahuliyat, and Supervisory Control & Data Acquisition system at a cost of Rs 79.27 cr.
In presence of the Lt Governor, KPDCL and JPDCL signed MoUs worth Rs 1814 cr & Rs 2174 cr, respectively, with PESL (PGCIL), RECPDCL & NTPC for implementation of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). It will strengthen distribution infrastructure and improve electricity supply to urban & rural areas.
Dedicating the power infrastructure projects to the people, the Lt Governor said the projects inaugurated today will add to the existing distribution capacity and provide quality power supply to the households and existing & upcoming industrial units in the respective areas.
The completion of projects under the MoUs signed today will go a long way to achieve the goal of providing 24×7 quality power to the people of Jammu Kashmir, he added.
“We have made dedicated efforts to increase generation, transmission and distribution capacity and ensured that the people of J&K have access to hassle-free power supply, the Lt Governor observed.
“Projects undertaken for creation of new receiving stations and augmentation of existing stations will ensure quality and reliable power supply to people. We have achieved huge capacity addition under Centrally Sponsored Schemes/PMDP projects. Out of 195 projects, 135 have been completed and the remaining 60 projects will be completed in coming months,” he noted.
The power scenario in Jammu Kashmir, which was in shambles for decades, has witnessed a major turnaround with more electricity being supplied, especially in far-flung areas as compared to previous years, Sinha said.
In Kashmir valley, additional capacities were created during the winter to enable peak demand and 10 percent more power was supplied as compared to last year. For the first time, in a single year out of total 30 grid stations, 11 stations have been augmented, he added.
Power supply position in Jammu region has improved after addition of new system capacities. These initiatives exemplify our commitment for inclusive development and to fulfil the needs of the common man, the Lt Governor said.
He highlighted the reforms introduced in the last three years to improve the power infrastructure; enhance power sustainability & efficiency in the UT.
Under PMDP and Centrally Sponsored Schemes, a well-planned, systematic and comprehensive program is being implemented for improvement and upgradation of transmission & distribution infrastructure to streamline and strengthen the power supply across J&K, he said.
The target of 1727 MVA capacity addition has been achieved at 220 and 132 KV levels and 236 circuit km transmission line has been laid. “We have added 2345 MVA capacity in the distribution sector and 8550 new distribution transformers have been installed in residential areas. Four mega hydro projects will be completed in coming years.”
In the first phase of the smart metering project, 57,000 meters have been installed and 1.25 lakh smart meters will be installed during Phase II, he informed.
The Lt Governor directed the officials to avail the benefit of RDSS scheme.
Officers must evaluate the implementation of the Power Amnesty scheme, and make dedicated efforts to reduce AT&C losses. Remove apprehensions of people. Spread awareness regarding smart meters, he added.
He further shared the achievements registered during Back to Village & employment opportunities extended to the youth; recruitment in Government jobs and streamlining the departmental promotions process.
Smart Metering App – Smart Bill Sahuliyat was launched today for the convenience of smart metered consumers. It will make consumers aware of the benefits of smart metering and provide them with information regarding power savings.
The newly integrated Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCDA) system in distribution for centralized control and monitoring of receiving stations will help in the early restoration of the power supply in case of any fault in the feeder, it was informed.
Junaid Azim Mattu, Mayor SMC; Dr Arun Kumar, Chief Secretary; H. Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary, PDD; Managing Directors of Power corporations and senior officials attended the inaugural event at Kashmir International Convention Centre.
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