Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today directed the Power Development Department (PDD) to strictly adhere to the announced schedule of power curtailment and stressed that he will personally monitor the day-to-day implementation during the winter months.
“Once the power curtailment schedule is announced, we must ensure strict compliance or our credibility will be at risk. We need to revisit the schedule, taking into account the resources currently available to us and what we expect in the near future,” the Chief Minister stressed .
He further reiterated the importance of strictly adhering to the schedule once it is finalized. “I will personally monitor the situation on a daily basis, especially as winter approaches,” he said.
The chief minister also stressed that the power curtailment schedule must be kept fair and impartial and not influenced by political or other external forces. “There must be no interference from people with political or other forms of influence. The timetable should be transparent and fair to all,” he added.
To incentivize efficiency, the chief minister suggested giving incentives to districts that show better performance in power usage management. “Reward those areas that are more effective in managing brownouts. Schedules should be localized and reflect performance, especially in areas where AT&C losses are lower,” he suggested.
In view of the meteorological department’s forecast of imminent winter, the chief minister directed the PDD officials to expedite preparations. “We have signs of early snowfall this year, so our winter preparations must reflect that possibility,” he said, urging seasonal pruning to be completed within the next three to four weeks.
During the meeting, Chief Secretary PDD Rajesh H. Prasad gave a detailed briefing on the current power situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
The presentations covered a wide range of topics including existing power supply conditions, energy demand and peak availability during the winter.
Key areas of discussion include strategies to mitigate winter power shortages, banking agreements for up to 500 megawatts of additional energy and central government funding. The meeting also reviewed power purchase liabilities, loans raised, disbursements and ongoing efforts to improve revenue realization through enhanced billing systems, e-governance and IT interventions.
The focus is on reducing total, technical and commercial (AT&C) losses and the Chief Minister urged that all necessary steps be taken to minimize these losses. The status of ongoing projects and system additions was also discussed in detail, with a focus on ensuring timely implementation before winter arrives.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Chief Secretary Atal Dhulu, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Chief Secretary Rajesh Prasad and other relevant personnel attended the meeting .
Srinagar, October 22: In order to ensure effective governance, key matters have been assigned to ministers of Jammu and Kashmir and departments have been designated as feeder departments to facilitate smooth functioning.
Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary holds several important portfolios including Public Works (R&B), Industry and Commerce, Mining and Labour. His main feeder department will be Public Works (R&B) to ensure seamless coordination within his areas of responsibility.
Health and Medical Services Minister Sakeena Itoo will also be responsible for social welfare affairs. The Ministry of Higher Education will serve as her feeder department to streamline her work.
Javed Ahmed Rana has been entrusted with the charge of Jal Shakti, forest and tribal affairs department. The Jal Shakti department will provide support to him in his administrative duties.
Javid Ahmad Dar is responsible for Agriculture and Rural Development, with the Ministry of Agriculture designated as his charge.
Meanwhile, Satish Sharma will lead the food, civil supplies, transport and science and technology departments with the support of the food ministry for effective governance.