Chief Secretary chairs DRC meeting of RDSS

SRINAGAR: Chief Secretary, Atal Dulloo, on Wednesday chaired the Distribution Reforms Committee (DRC) meeting of Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) to work out strategies towards accelerating the process and achieving reduction in distribution losses in the Union Territory.

Among others the meeting was attended by Principal Secretary, PDD, members of the committee including ACS, Jal Shakti Department, ACS, Forests, Principal Secretary, Finance, Commissioner Secretary, H&UDD, Secretary, RDD, MD, JPDCL/KPDCL, Chief Engineers besides other concerned officers of the department.

The Chief Secretary described this ambitious scheme as crucially significant in turning the fate of J&K’s power sector towards new dimensions. He maintained that reducing Actual Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses is the key towards revolutionizing power scenario in the UT.

He asked all the concerned to play their roles devotedly for timely realization of objectives of this scheme in J&K.

He said that with completion of all requisite there would be substantial increase in energy stock to be provided to the consumers at affordable rates.

He enjoined upon the Discoms of both the Divisions to lay added focus on execution of these work to ensure quality power supply and achieve targets within the deadline.

The Chief Secretary, while assessing various activities, enquired about the status of smart metering works accomplished in different districts of the UT. He also asked about the physical progress registered under each package of work awarded to PIA besides the possible deadline by which these would be put into use by the department.

In a presentation, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, H. Rajesh Prasad, highlighted a detailed description about the progress on RDSS works across different districts of the UT.

He informed that the scheme aims at improving the quality, reliability and affordability of power supply to customers through an efficient distribution system. He revealed that other objective of the initiative is to reduce the AT&C losses to just 12-15%, which currently revolves around 60% in the UT.

As far as the funding for this scheme is concerned, it was informed that the Government of India supports for smart metering with 22.5% per meter share and for loss reduction (LR) works it is being done on 90:10 basis shared by the Centre and the UT. It was apprised that smart metering works amounting Rs 1053 crore and LR works worth Rs 4567 crore are being undertaken in different districts of J&K.

While giving details about the smart metering, it was revealed that 14,07,045 smart meters and 88,037 system meters had to be installed in the UT. For carrying out other LR works, different project implementing agencies including PESL, NTPC and RECPDCL have been assigned tasks to complete them in different areas in a time bound manner.