Pursuing transfer of power projects from NHPC: Govt
Jammu: Deputy Chief Minister, Dr Nirmal Singh Monday informed the house that the State Government is actively pursuing the transfer of power projects as it is an important part of the developmental agenda of the present coalition government. He said that the Finance Minister, Dr Haseeb Drabu in his Power Budget in the year 2015-16, has clearly mentioned that the Government would actively pursue transfer of hydropower projects from NHPC and that year’s budget provided funds for meeting the operational and maintenance cost of such power projects to be transferred.
He said in March 2016, he along with Finance Minister met the Union Power Minister formally and impressed upon the Union Government the need for transfer of power projects of Dulhasti and Uri from NHPC to the State among other important issues of power sector. “Subsequently, this has been raised in various Power Ministers’ Conferences by me,” he said.
Dr Nirmal Singh said that presently there is no agreement or MoU available with the State government on the terms and conditions under which Dul Hasti power Project was executed by NHPC. He said in the year 2011 a Cabinet Sub-committee was constituted to look into it and the Committee could not find any agreement or MoU. In this regard the Committee recommended constituting a Task Force of senior officers of the State to look into the circumstances leading to the misplacement of these records. Accordingly, a Task Force under the chairmanship of Administrative Secretary General Administration Department with three Additional Secretaries from PDD, GAD and Governor’s Secretariat was formed. As recorded by the Task Force, the relevant records were found missing from all the concerned offices. The task force concluded that the Cabinet decision was un-traceable and that there was not any possibility of its retrieval as the records were around four decades old and no handing over/taking over of records had taken place.
Listing the reasons forcing power cuts in peak Winters and summer seasons in Kashmir and Jammu, the Deputy
Chief Minister said against registered 3101 MW load , the demand should not exceed 1551 MW, but it is around 2950 MW (un-restricted) that reflecting that there exists huge unregistered load. He said the use of unauthorized load creates system constraints by way of overloading the system at Transmission, Sub-Transmission and at distribution levels, thereby causing further distress cuts in addition to the scheduled cuts. He said because JKPDD has sufficient capacity available at all transmission levels, viz-a-vis total load registered, it makes sufficient power available for its consumers as per their contract demand. He said various centrally sponsored schemes have been launched to meet the future load growth and to improve the power supply qualitatively and quantitatively.
Listing flagship schemes launched to overcome chronic problems at various levels, the Dy Chief Minister informed that Re-structured Accelerated Developmental Programme (R-APDRP) has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 151.99 crore under part-A and Rs. 1665.27 crore under part-B to strengthen, upgrade and renovate sub-transmission and distribution network, adoption of IT application for meter reader, billing and energy accounting, in 30 identified towns of the state, including 17 of Kashmir division, 11 of Jammu division and 2 of Ladakh region. He said the revised PMRRP envisages achieving 24×7 power for all by 2019 and ensuring physical autonomy of J&K for a new era of development.
He said Centre has also launched Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) for strengthening sub-transmission and distribution network in 86 towns of the State at a cost of Rs 404.50 crore. Meanwhile, he said RGGY-II (RE-DDUGY) has been sanctioned at a cost of Rs. 101.28 crore for three districts of Ramban, Kishtwar and Doda.
Responding to another part of the question, Dr. Nirmal Singh informed that energy mapping and energy auditing is subservient to 100 percent metering at all voltage levels. To achieve 100 percent metering at Sub-Transmission level and Distribution level the department has put in its efforts. He said that process of replacement of defective 11 KV feeder meters has been completed. Similarly, DT metering has been undertaken in urban towns of under RARPDP Part A. DT metering under IPDS shall also be undertaken in remaining towns. Consumer metering is also being taken up under various schemes. Once all the levels are metered, a proper exercise for energy auditing and energy mapping shall be carried out.
“These schemes have the provision of installation of HVDS units and aerial bunched cabling by which the department to curb the power misuse which account for high distribution losses in the State” he added. He said the department has also initiated effective metering at grid substations and installation of shunt capacitors at 33 & 11 KV level in phases, strengthening of transmission infrastructure as envisaged in 12th and 13th 5-year plan. He said to achieve 100 percent consumer metering, efforts are on for regularization of unregistered consumers, regularization of unregistered load of registered consumers, constitution of inspection squads at different levels. These teams have given encouraging results and consumers, found using electricity non-judiciously, are being penalized. He said 78289 inspections were conducted in 2016-17 and a penalty of Rs.9.51 crore imposed against which Rs.4.68 crore were recovered from the defaulters.
KV Correspondent
