Srinagar- The electricity crisis in Jammu and Kashmir is likely to ease from next week as the LG administration has reached out to the central government to procure an additional 500 MW power supply under Shakti policy.
Principal Secretary of Power Development Department (PDD) H Rajesh Prasad told Kashmir Observer that the process is in its final stage and will come into effect from the first week of December.
“In December we have the peak load and we are in the final stage of procuring the additional power supply from the central government under Shakti policy,” Prasad said, adding that Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) is pending as of now while other formalities have been completed.
Last year, the Ministry of Power launched a scheme for procurement of aggregate power of 4500 MW by states and Union Territories for five years under SHAKTI Policy. The Ministry said that the scheme will help states/UTs that are facing power shortage and help generation plants to increase their capacities.
It is pertinent to mention that J&K government has sanctioned the acquisition of more than 2400 MWs of power through PPA from National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and Solar Power Corporation of India (SPCI) to address the deficit.
Prasad, however, noted that the department is running short of funds to purchase the power. “The revenue generation is very poor, leading to constraints on the budget,” he said.
Last week, the PDD had called an important meeting amid severe criticism from the cross sections of the society for failing to provide adequate power supply amid the dip in temperature.
It was deliberated to disconnect the power supply of those who failed to pay the electricity fee and intensify its crackdown against defaulters.
Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) has claimed to have recovered a whopping Rs 28 crore revenue from defaulters within just four days, besides disconnecting lines to over a thousand houses, business establishments and industries over non-payment of dues.
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