Revamping of power distribution network in 283 towns
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, June 12: Noting that Jammu and Kashmir has embarked on minimizing the Transmission and Distribution losses, the Planning Commission of India has given a positive response to the State Government on funding Rs 1245 crore worth project proposals aimed at revamping the power distribution network in 283 towns of the State.
Authoritative sources told EXCELSIOR that during the recent discussion over the prevailing scenario in the power sector with the Advisor Energy of the Planning Commission of India, a team of State Government officers headed by the Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, Sudhanshu Panday apprised the Planning Commission that several new steps taken to reduce the Transmission and Distribution losses in the State have started yielding positive results.
In 2010-11, the aggregate losses were 70.24 % but in 2011-12, the same were reduced to 67 % because of such measures, the Planning Commission was informed. It was also disclosed by the State team that during the last financial year 1.04 lakh new electronic meters were installed and 37,400 defective meters replaced.
Moreover, during the anti-theft drives 54722 illegal power connections were disconnected and fine to the tune of Rs 10 crore was imposed and realized from the defaulters during the last financial year as compared to Rs 2.2 crore fine realized in 2010-11 financial year. During the current year so far, a total of 8000 inspections have been carried out by the Inspection and Control Wing of the Department and fine to the tune of Rs 2 crore has been realized.
Due to all these measures, 225 Mega Watts irregular load has been regularized and brought under the billing net, the Planning Commission was further informed.
Informing the Planning Commission that financial constraints have tied the Government hands from revamping the transmission and distribution network in those towns, which don’t fall under the ambit of Restructured-APDRP, a Centrally Sponsored Scheme, the Principal Secretary, Power Development Department sought the Planning Commission’s approval to Rs 1245 crore worth project proposals prepared by the State Government for improvement of distribution network in 283 towns of the State having population between 4,000 and 10,000.
Noting that State Government has embarked on minimizing the T&D losses by initiating several new steps, the Planning Commission agreed to support J&K’s Rs 1245 crore worth proposals.
“The Detailed Project Reports for 283 towns, which already have been submitted to the Union Government, are presently being scrutinized by a group headed by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) senior officer and on the completion of this exercise the project proposals will be forwarded to the Planning Commission, which has already agreed to provide support”, sources said, adding “within next two to three months, Jammu and Kashmir would get funds for 283 towns”.
Since 30 towns having population of 10,000 and above have already been covered under R-APDRP with financial assistance of Rs 1900 crore spread over three years, around 84 % of the total energy supplied in the State will get covered under revamping exercise and this would result into checking of Transmission and Distribution losses up to a large extent, sources said.
About the reasons behind the poor condition of the power sector, they said, “the Power Development Department is getting only Rs 140 crore for distribution network and with such meager amount neither separation of feeders nor revamping is possible”, adding “in other States the distribution utility has been unbundled but in Jammu and Kashmir the exercise in this regard has recently been started despite the fact this is an important step to generate funds for the distribution network”.
Moreover, in Jammu and Kashmir Power Supply Code was not being followed till the recent past as a result of which there was un-necessary financial burden on the department. “Now directions have been issued down the line for strict adherence to the Supply Code”, sources said, adding “without such measures reforms in the power sector are not possible”.
About the Voluntary Load Disclosure Scheme recently launched by the PDD, they said, “this is imperative in order to bring down the distribution transformers damage rate, which is 40 % in Jammu and Kashmir as against national rate of 2.5 % and just 0.5 % in Delhi”, adding “the transformers damage rate in Jammu and Kashmir is alarming because actual load is much more than the agreemented load because of power thefts and non-disclosure of the actual load”.
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