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J&K CM Omar Abdullah bats for minimising power cuts during winter
J&K CM Omar Abdullah emphasised upon minimising cuts to increase public trust in the schedule of power cuts notified by the power department
Chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday stressed upon implementing transparent curtailment and minimising distress cuts in power supply across Jammu and Kashmir.
Chairing a comprehensive review meeting of the power development department (PDD) here, the CM focused on addressing power supply challenges, curtailment schedules, revenue realisation, and strategies for improving the efficiency of the power sector during the peak winter season.
Omar in his remarks emphasised upon minimising cuts to increase public trust in the schedule of power cuts notified by the power department.
“Deviations from announced curtailment schedules must be kept to an absolute bare minimum. While people are ready to accept planned curtailments, unexpected and prolonged power cuts are difficult for them to tolerate,” he said, reiterating the need for a clear and reliable curtailment program, stressing that distressed curtailments should be rare and well-communicated.
The meeting was attended by advisor to CM Nasir Aslam Wani, chief secretary Atal Dulloo, additional chief secretary to CM Dheeraj Gupta, principal secretary power development department Rajesh H Prasad, Principal secretary finance Satosh D. Vaidya, managing directors of distribution companies, senior officers of the PDD, and other officials.
Kashmir-based officers also joined the meeting virtually.
Prasad presented a detailed overview of key areas including power supply status, load curtailment programs, revenue realisation, power purchase economics, and mechanisms for monitoring curtailment schedules.
The meeting also reviewed consumer and load profiles across Kashmir districts, focusing on consumer counts and challenges in meeting load requirements.
Discussions were held on strategies to address aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses through targeted interventions and mechanisms to plug revenue leakages.
A comparative analysis of power availability this year versus last year was also presented.
Abdullah reviewed the physical and financial progress of ongoing works and projects being executed under the UT budget, centrally sponsored schemes, and PMDP, while key proposed projects were also evaluated.
He also launched the monitoring of load curtailment programme by clicking on www.LCPJK.in, marking a significant step toward ensuring transparency and accountability in power curtailment schedules.
The CM reiterated for strict monitoring and efficient execution of curtailment plans to ensure a reliable power supply while safeguarding the interests of consumers.
