J&K records 20 per cent AT&C losses: Centre

New Delhi, Feb 12: Jammu and Kashmir has recorded Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses of around 20 per cent, higher than the national average of 15.04 per cent, the Government of India informed Parliament on Thursday.
The information was shared in the Lok Sabha in reply to a starred question raised by Dr Prabha Mallikarjun regarding the financial and operational performance of power distribution utilities.
According to official data as on March 31, 2025, AT&C losses stood at about 20 per cent in Jammu and Kashmir, reflecting energy losses in distribution networks as well as commercial losses due to theft, billing inefficiencies and poor collection.
The figures also show that neighbouring Ladakh recorded AT&C losses of 26.82 per cent, significantly higher than the national average.
The Ministry of Power said the Centre has been supporting States and Union Territories to reduce losses and improve the financial health of power utilities through schemes such as the Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) and the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS).
Under these programmes, financial assistance has been provided for strengthening distribution infrastructure, including upgradation of substations, installation of new transformers, replacement of old conductors, underground cabling, SCADA systems and smart metering.
The government said projects worth over Rs 1.53 lakh crore for loss reduction infrastructure and Rs 1.31 lakh crore for smart metering have been sanctioned under RDSS, while works worth Rs 58,686 crore were executed earlier under IPDS.
Officials said the release of funds under RDSS is linked to the performance of distribution utilities, aimed at improving efficiency and ensuring reliable and quality power supply to consumers. (KNO)