SRINAGAR: A meeting to assess the functioning of the Power Development Department and assess the current state of the power situation in the UT was presided over by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha. The Lt. Governor talked about the department’s comprehensive plan for meeting peak electricity demand. He also gave the go-ahead to improve sustainability and efficiency in order to guarantee a sufficient and trustworthy supply of power during the winter. In order to reduce AT&C losses in certain locations to single digits and assure maximum power supply to smart metre saturation feeders, the Lt. Governor instructed the administration to take concrete action.Jammu, Srinagar, and district headquarters should all have smart metres installed as soon as possible. He continued that PDD should make sure metered regions receive dependable services and high-quality electricity. It was disclosed that the UT has almost 4 lakh smart metres installed. To prevent causing the consumers any difficulty, the Lt. Governor ordered that the curtailment plans be followed and that the damaged transformers be promptly replaced. In preparation for the impending winter season, he noted, a buffer supply of transformers should be preserved for border and remote districts. He argued that strong local enforcement is the best way to combat power theft. The LG also gave instructions for the proper implementation of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) in the UT and for utilising the potential of new and renewable energy. The chair was updated by H. Rajesh Prasad, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, on the department’s initiatives to close the demand and supply gap. He claimed that following the previous winter, a sizable capacity augmentation was completed to allow the system to handle increased peak demand. In order to meet the rising demand throughout the winter, the Lt. Governor emphasised the importance of ensuring resource adequacy in terms of the availability of additional electricity capacity. According to information provided, the peak demand increased by more than 28% during Financial Years 2020–21 and 2023–24, while the peak shortfall shrank from 22% to 12%.The meeting was attended in person and virtually by Dr. Arun Kumar Mehta, Chief Secretary, Dr. RP Singh, Chairman of the JKPCL, Dr. Mandeep Kumar Bhandari, Principal Secretary to the Lt Governor, Divisional Commissioners, Deputy Commissioners, Heads of Departments and Power Corporations, Chief Engineers and senior officers.
