SRINAGAR: Authorities state that the Jammu and Kashmir government, in the current fiscal year, has signed Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) for 2500 MW to double the existing power availability.
An official from the Power Development Department (PDD) mentioned that a high-level meeting took place under the chairmanship of Union Minister of Power, New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh, and Lieutenant Governor of J&K Manoj Sinha to review the power sector of J&K.
“During the meeting, H Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary to the Government, Power Development Department, presented a detailed overview of the department’s recent achievements,” the official said.
It was noted that J&K has taken proactive steps to ensure sufficient power availability as 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 to UT in the coming years,” reads the statement.
The Union Minister of Power stated that a senior officer from the Ministry would act as the Nodal Officer, responsible for continuous monitoring of the power situation and addressing any gaps from the Central Pool to ensure adequate power supply to J&K. “Smart metering emerged as a key discussion point during the meeting,” it reads.
The Union Minister directed the project implementing agency, RECPDCL, to expeditiously implement smart metering, ensuring end-to-end solutions, including integration with MDM, enabling prepaid functionality & other smart features, so that the benefits of the technology are effectively passed on to the consumers.
The Ministry also directed CPSUs engaged in the RDSS implementation to promptly award and initiate the execution of all projects entrusted to them, recognizing the intended impact of RDSS works in transforming J&K’s power sector.
LG Siha apprised the union minister about the continuance of obsolete wires and other network elements, especially in rural areas, which cause undue power interruptions.
At the same time, the minister called for a comprehensive proposal for the same and assured sufficient funding for system revamping. (KNO)
