New Delhi- Lieutenant Governor, Manoj Sinha met Union Power Minister R K Singh in New Delhi and requested him to allocate additional electricity to Jammu and Kashmir, besides more funds under RDSS for further upgradation and modernisation of the distribution infrastructure in the Union Territory.
The LG met the Union Power Minister on Thursday evening in the wake of rising power demand in UT, as a result of economic growth and increasing electrification, during the ongoing winter season, an official spokesperson said Friday.
Sinha, he said, informed the Minister that the current demand of UT of J&K has touched around 2800 MW with a deficit of approximately 1400 MW in the current winter season. He requested the Union Power Minister for allocating more power to the UT.
According to the spokesperson, Singh apprised LG that the Ministry of Power has already allocated 1500 MW from the central pool to meet the winter requirements of J&K. Further, he said, 472 MW is also allocated under Shakti policy, for which, Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) with the power department of J&K is proposed to be signed by the end of Dec, 23.
“Overall, 1972 MW of additional allocation has been made by the Central government to take care of the urgent power requirement of the Union Territory,” he added.
The LG, the spokesperson said, requested the Power Minister to allocate additional funds under RDSS for further upgradation and modernisation of the distribution infrastructure in the UT, including replacement of outdated conductors, transformers and poles.
Singh, he said, suggested the LG send proposals in this regard and assured him that the Ministry will positively consider the proposal for the development of J&K.
The Minister, according to the spokesperson, directed the officers of his Ministry to ensure adequate allocation of Power to J&K to meet the rising demand.
Singh, he said, also reviewed various programmes of the Ministry of Power being implemented in the UT, under Central Sector Schemes.
“The Power Minister directed the concerned agencies to expedite the ongoing projects related to transmission lines, smart meters and other distribution infrastructure works. He directed that all the remaining projects should be awarded by the end of December 2023 and also that completion of all the ongoing projects should be ensured as per the schedule,” he said.
The spokesperson said that it was informed that the Ministry of Power under various programmes like PMDP, PMRP and RDSS have already sanctioned Rs. 10691 crores for strengthening of the power systems in J&K.
He said that it was reported that more than 4.25 lakh smart pre-paid meters have already been installed under PMDP and RDSS schemes and that a remarkable improvement in the billing and collection efficiency has been noticed in these areas. 100% smart pre-paid metering is targeted to be achieved by 2025-26.
“The Power Minister appreciated the efforts made by the UT in the implementation of various programmes of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, which has resulted in drastic reduction of AT&C losses in the UT since 2019,” the spokesperson said.
Singh, he said, informed the LG that the power generation capacity in J&K will be doubled in the coming 3-4 years. He added that four Mega Hydro Electric Projects with total capacity of 3,014 MW – namely PakalDul (1,000MW), Kiru (624 MW), Kwar (540 MW) and Ratle (830 MW) – which were either stalled or could not commence due to various issues for past so many years have now been fast-tracked and are fully on track for completion before 2026.
“In addition, MoUs between Government of India and Government of J&K have been signed, for development of 4 more Mega Hydel Projects worth ₹ 29,600 crores, with total capacity of 3,284 MW,” the spokesperson added.
Co-Chairs Meeting With Singh To Review Power Sector
Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, R. K. Singh and Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha co-chaired a high-level meeting to review the power sector of the Union Territory.
During the meeting, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, H. Rajesh Prasad, presented a detailed overview of the department’s recent achievements, an official spokesperson said.
He said the meeting was informed that J&K has taken several proactive steps to ensure sufficient availability of power as a part of both short term and medium term measures.
“In this direction, PPAs for 2500 MW have been signed during the current year, aiming to double the existing power availability in the UT in coming years,” he said.
He said that the Union Minister announced that a senior officer from the Ministry would act as the Nodal Officer, responsible for continuous monitoring of power situation and addressing any gaps from the Central Pool to ensure adequate power supply to J&K.
“The Union Minister directed the project implementing agency, RECPDCL to expeditiously implement smart metering, ensuring end to end solution including integration with MDM, enabling pre-paid functionality and other smart features so that benefits of the technology are effectively passed on to the consumers,” he said.
Singh, he said, directed the CPSUs engaged in RDSS implementation to promptly award and initiate execution of all projects entrusted to them, recognizing the intended impact of RDSS works in transforming J&K’s power sector.
Apart from the technical matters, the spokesperson said, a notable highlight of the meeting was launching of 4E Wave – A Student led National Movement for Energy Conservation by the Union Minister and LG Sinha.
While launching the 4E Wave -a Student lead National Movement for Energy Conservation, the Union Minister was elated to know that the youth of J&K has taken the initiative to launch a national movement on energy conservation, which holds the potential to make a substantial impact on the nation’s energy conservation efforts.
LG mentioned that this initiative will significantly contribute towards promoting the National Cause of Energy Conservation and play a crucial role in safeguarding the planet.
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