Gurezi chairs Estimates Committee meet

Srinagar, Oct 19: Nazir Ahmad Khan (Gurezi), MLA Monday chaired a meeting of the Committee on Estimates at Legislative Assembly here to review the power scenario in Jammu and Kashmir with emphasis on timely completion of RDSS projects.
The meeting was attended by Legislators Javid Hassan Baig, Mushtaq Guroo, Irshad Rasool Kar, Sajad Shaheen and Mian Mehar Ali. Secretary Assembly Manoj Kumar Pandit and officials of the Assembly Secretariat were also present on the occassion.
The officers of Power Development Department gave a detailed presentation on physical and financial progress under Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), PMDP and other flagship schemes, including budget utilization, grid augmentation and power procurement.
The Chairman said that smart metering will streamline the billing, improve collection efficiency and provide relief to the consumers. He also reviewed renewable energy initiatives under PM-KUSUM, rooftop solar and electrification of unconnected border hamlets. He sought a clear timeline for achieving 100 per cent grid connectivity and ensuring stable off-grid supply where grid extension is not feasible.
Meanwhile, the Members raised public concerns over high AT&C losses, slow progress on smart metering, unscheduled power cuts, billing disputes and slow replacement of bare conductors with Aerial Bunched Cables.
In view of the approaching winter, the Chairman stressed the need for robust winter preparedness, including adequate reserves of Distribution Transformers and deployment of quick response teams for snow-bound and far-flung areas to avoid prolonged outages.
The Committee directed the Department to submit within a fortnight circle-wise AT&C loss data, complaint resolution figures, outstanding liabilities to CPSUs/IPPs and updated status of hydro projects along with cost escalation and revised timelines.
Ashwani Kumar, ACS PDD, Babila Rakwal, Commissioner Secretary Science and Technology Department, Rahul Yadav, MD JKSPDC, G.P. Singh, MD JPDCL, Mahmood A Shah, MD KPDCL, M.S. Malik, DG Budget, and other senior officers of the JKPTCL, JKPCL, JAKEDA, NHPC, KPDCL and JPDCL were present in the meeting.