Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
Srinagar: Notwithstanding a substantial increase in the revenue collections—Rs 650 crore in 7 months in 2024 in Kashmir against Rs 460 crore in 2023—and despite Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s clear-cut orders on 4 December, Power Development Department (PDD) has not released an additionality of 200 mw to Kashmir in the last 5 days.
The valley of Kashmir is facing the worst power cuts and unscheduled load shedding in the peak winter months of December and January. The domestic as well as the commercial consumers are complaining of frequent power cuts and extremely low voltage, affecting the systems and services badly in the valley.
On Wednesday, 4 December, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah presided over a review meeting on the power supply situation which was attended by senior bureaucrats and engineers physically in Jammu and virtually from Kashmir. According to sources present in the meeting in Jammu, it was pointed out that unlike in the previous few years, the valley was getting a daily share of not more than 1,400 mw in the current peak season of the winter this year.
According to the officers, Kashmir used to get 1,600 mw to 17,00 mw in winter during the President’s rule. The supply, according to them, has been reduced and kept static at an average of 1,400 mw. Principal Secretary Power, according to sources, asserted in the meeting that an increase of 200 mw to Kashmir would mean an additional expenditure of Rs 200 crore in the two severe winter months.
However, the Chief Minister asserted that the additional expenditure could be easily met with the Capex budget savings as a large number of allotments for execution of works could not be released and executed due to the moral code of conduct in the Lok Sabha and the Assembly elections. It was accordingly directed that the PDD would release the additionality of 200 mw with immediate effect in order to deal with the crisis in Kashmir.
The PDD insiders confirmed that such directions had been issued by the Chief Minister in the review meeting. “But no additionality has been released in the last 5 days. We are completely helpless because of the non-availability of power in Kashmir. Due to unscheduled power cuts and related factors, around 50 substations are damaged in the valley every day this season”, said an official while insisting anonymity.
Sources said that it was also highlighted in the review meeting that Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Ltd (KPDCL) had collected a substantial revenue of Rs 650 crore in the first seven months of the current financial year as against Rs 460 crore in the corresponding period in Kashmir in 2023. It was also pointed out that the total revenue collections in Jammu in the same period this year were just Rs 385 crore.
“We have resorted to unscheduled cuts in unmetered as well as the metered areas across the valley, including the capital city of Srinagar. We can do nothing until our availability is increased proportionately”, said a top-ranking engineer.
