Jammu, Nov 25: Chief Secretary Atal Dulloo on Tuesday reviewed ongoing power sector reforms in Jammu and Kashmir, focusing on improving efficiency, infrastructure, and reducing power losses under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). The meeting was attended by Additional Chief Secretary, PDD; MD, JPDCL/KPDCL; Chief Engineers; and representatives from NTPC and PESL.
Dulloo called for strict adherence to timelines for loss reduction projects and instructed that all works must be completed within the Indian government’s prescribed deadlines. He directed the setting of daily and weekly targets for activities such as LT cable replacement, distribution system upgrades, HT line cabling, feeder segregation, and pole installation.
The importance of improving feeder-wise billing and revenue collection was highlighted, alongside strict action against negligent officials. Divisional Commissioners were tasked with monthly reviews to identify and address performance issues.
To avoid winter delays, especially in snow-bound regions, the CS called for pre-positioning essential materials in difficult terrains. He urged senior officers and Deputy Commissioners to oversee progress continuously, ensuring timely resolution of bottlenecks.
The ACS PDD, Shailendra Kumar, called on Project Implementing Agencies (PIAs) to submit detailed action plans for accelerating work, especially in remote areas like Marwah, Wadwan, Gurez, and Tanghdar. He emphasized the need to regularize illegal connections to boost revenue and ensure uninterrupted supply.
PESL and NTPC were encouraged to speed up their work, with assurances of funding support once received from the Ministry of Power. Clear milestones and strict adherence to timelines were stressed.
MD JPDCL Gurpal Singh provided a progress update, noting that works worth ₹4,709 crore under loss reduction and ₹1,053 crore under smart metering are targeted for completion in Phase-I of RDSS across J&K. The work has been divided into packages awarded to four PIAs, with progress at approximately 74% for JPDCL, 73% for KPDCL, 57% and 33% for PESL in Kashmir and Jammu, and 72% and 31% for NTPC divisions.
Significant achievements include reducing AT&C losses from 58% in 2022 to around 32% now, with a goal of 12% by 2028. The ACS-ARR gap has narrowed from ₹3.11 to ₹1.29, and billing efficiency has improved from 56% to 69%, while collection efficiency rose from 75% to 94%. Progress in smart metering is also notable, with 1,87,894 meters installed by JPDCL and 1,93,777 by KPDCL out of targeted 7,62,872 and 7,27,855 meters respectively, advancing transparent power distribution across J&K districts.
sameer
Leave a comment