NL Correspondent
SRINAGAR: Despite making tall claims, the Jammu and Kashmir's transmission and distribution losses continue to be highest in India.
As per the official figures, the Jammu and Kashmir has over 50 percent transmission and distribution losses, while the national average is around 30 percent.
The neighbouring states of J&K, Himachal Pradesh, Delhi, and Chandigarh have 20, 21, and 19 percent T&D losses, respectively.
The J&K has failed to bring down the T&D losses despite hike in power tariff of over 200 percent in the last one decade in the state.
A report submitted by the Abraham Committee headed by P Abraham in 2011 slammed the Power Development Department of JK that it had not made “any serious effort to reduce the loss levels”. “Instead of curbing the loss levels, they are seeking to pass on the burden of the entire loss level to the consumers,” the report had said. The committee had directed the government to reduce the T&D losses in the state.
The committee had found that T&D losses were due to lack of up gradation of old lines and equipments, poor repair and maintenance of equipments, non-installation of sufficient capacitors, theft and pilferage, tampering of meters, and low accountability of employees.
The centre has slammed the state several times for failing to reduce the (T&D) losses.
The union government has directed the JK government to improve revenue recovery and check the pilferage, a major cause of T&D losses.
An official of the PDD said that government at the top have to take measures to reduce the T&D losses. “The T&D losses are around 62 percent in Kashmir and 40 percent in Jammu region. The losses could be only bring at par with the national average when government takes some concrete steps,” the official said.
Installation of metering, the official said could bring down these losses.
“Funds have also been sought from the centre for installation of 100 percent metering in the state by 2020,” the official said.
The official said that PDD has projected installation of 1147723 metres from 2015 to 2019 in domestic and non-domestic categories of which 202374 have been installed during 2015-2016 and had projected 252537 metres in 2016-2017 but could not achieve the target due to unrest in the valley.
“The metering process has been slow due to situation in the state and due to resource constraints,” the official added.
