Jammu & Kashmir

With Rs 4,000 crore power losses, LG directs PDD to reduce deficit by 10% within next 3 months

Srinagar: Power losses in Jammu and Kashmir have alarmingly mounted to Rs 4,000 crore per year prompting Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to direct the Power Development Department to reduce the deficit by 10 percent within the next three months.

Quoting official sources, the Daily Excelsior reported that Jammu and Kashmir is suffering heavy losses due to the gap between electricity purchase bill and revenue generation.

The Government has to purchase electricity worth Rs 6500-6600 crore every year. Against this, the Government is generating revenue of only Rs 2600 crore.

“J&K has highest power losses in the country which the Government is trying to reduce. Target has been given to the Power Development Department to reduce this by 10 percent in three months,” the report said quoting sources.

Pointing out that in the last 70 years, only 3,500 MWs capacity of electricity was installed, they said.

The report quoting sources further said Jammu and Kashmir is a power-deficit region. The administration has, however, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the National Hydro-electric Power Corporation (NHPC) on the Sawalakote power project.

It is being constructed since 1984 and has not been completed in 46 years. Now the administration is confident that it will be completed in the next five years.

“Whatever power generation capacity was built in the last 70 years, the administration will be doubling it in five years. It will be producing electricity of 3,400 MWs capacity in 4-5 years. After that, there will be no power problem in JK,” the report said quoting sources.

Meanwhile, investment proposals under the new Industrial Policy which was Rs 23,000 crore about a fortnight back including Rs 12,000 crore in Jammu division and Rs 11,000 crore in Kashmir region have now reached Rs 25,000 crore.

Jammu’s share has gone up to Rs 12,800 crore and that of Kashmir to Rs 12,200 crore, sources told Daily Excelsior.

 

Free Press Kashmir is now on Telegram. Click here to Join.
FPK Android App for 2G. Click here to Download.

Click to comment
To Top