Srinagar- Over the last five years, Jammu and Kashmir has been allocated a total of Rs 5,835 crore under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to improve the state’s power distribution infrastructure, Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs, Manohar Lal informed the House on Thursday.
The RDSS, launched by the Government of India in July 2021, aims to enhance the operational efficiency and financial sustainability of power distribution utilities, reduce technical and commercial losses, and ensure reliable power supply.
While providing data for all states in the country, the Union Minister mentioned that the sanctioned amount for Jammu and Kashmir includes Rs 1,064 crore for metering works and Rs 4,771 crore for loss reduction initiatives.
“In addition, the government has approved a grant-based support (GBS) of Rs 272 crore for metering works and Rs 4,294 crore for loss reduction, bringing the total GBS allocated to Jammu and Kashmir to Rs 4,566 crore,” he said, as per news agency KNO.
He also said that the funds aim to improve the operational efficiency and financial sustainability of power distribution utilities in the region, with a focus on reducing losses and enhancing the reliability of power supply.
The Union Minister said that the government has made significant progress in electrifying households in Jammu and Kashmir under the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (Saubhagya).
Over the past five years and the current year, he said that the total number of willing un-electrified households in rural areas, as well as all willing poor households in urban areas, have been electrified, ensuring access to electricity for a large number of residents.
Rs 4.5 Cr For Drinkable Water
The Central government has sanctioned a Rs 4.5 crore project under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) 2.0 scheme to provide drinkable tap water across Jammu and Kashmir, Union Jal Shakti Minister C.R. Paatil informed Parliament on Thursday.
Launched on October 01, 2021, AMRUT 2.0 aims to make cities ‘self-reliant’ and ‘water secure’ by improving urban water supply and wastewater management. The scheme focuses on ensuring the availability of clean and safe drinking water in urban areas.
The minister said that between 2023 and November 22, 2024, a total of 4,39,464 water samples were tested across Jammu and Kashmir.
Giving details, he said that in the year 2023-24, 2,53,364 water samples were tested in laboratories, and an additional 34,793 samples were tested using Field Testing Kits (FTKs), bringing the total to 2,88,157 tests for that year.
For the current year (2024-25), as of November 22, 2024, 1,51,062 water samples had been tested in laboratories, and 409 samples were tested using FTKs, adding up to a total of 1,51,471 tests for the ongoing year, Paatil said.
As of November 22, 2024, Jammu and Kashmir has 98 water quality testing laboratories, including 76 at the block sub-division level, 20 at the district level, and 2 mobile units, the minister said, adding that these efforts are part of the government’s push to ensure safe drinking water for every citizen in the region.
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