Load revised for 16,908 non-metered homes; KPDCL, JPDCL together generate ₹376 crore in revenue
WAJAHAT SHABIR
SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir’s power sector is currently burdened with an accrued power purchase liability of ₹4751 crore as on September 30, 2025, officials have revealed. The list of agencies and vendors to whom payments are due or overdue has been attached as part of a supplementary reply to a starred Assembly Question.
According to the official data, the highest outstanding amount—₹2675 crore—is owed to PDC & BHEP, followed by ₹638 crore to NTPC, ₹449 crore to NHPC, and ₹172 crore to PGCIL. Several other central and private power generators, including THDC, Avaada Sunrays, Jindal Power, RKM, and SJVNL units, are also awaiting payments. In total, 33 agencies are listed with cumulative dues.
Despite the mounting liabilities, officials clarified that no power tariff hike has been implemented in Jammu & Kashmir after the tariff order issued by the Electricity Regulatory Commission on 23 November 2023.
They said that recent complaints from several constituencies, including Tral, regarding higher bills were not linked to any tariff increase. Instead, the bills were generated strictly in accordance with load agreements signed by consumers.
“The load revision across all DISCOMs is done based on the actual load utilized by households. Bills are not inflated; they follow the tariff approved by JERC,” officials said.
The government further clarified that there are no exclusively designated non-metered areas, although non-metered households exist across different regions where smart metering has not yet been implemented.
Consumers in areas like Hyhama, Kalaroos, Awoora, and Kupwara continue to be billed under their sanctioned load agreements until smart meters are installed.
For the financial year 2025–26, 16,908 households in non-metered categories had their sanctioned load revised. Revenue collected from these non-metered consumers during the ongoing fiscal has reached ₹376 crore — ₹344 crore from KPDCL and ₹32 crore from JPDCL.
The detailed annexure shows the following major outstanding dues as of 30 September 2025: PDC & BHEP: ₹2675 crore, NTPC: ₹638 crore, NHPC: ₹449 crore, PGCIL: ₹172 crore, Jindal Power: ₹100 crore, RKM (IB + Talcher): ₹185 crore combined, Deviation Settlement: ₹101 crore, JIPTL: ₹63 crore. Some entities such as NLC, NTPL, and NTECL show zero outstanding, while one entry (PTC IEX) even reflects a negative balance of –₹4 crore.
Officials said the accumulated liability reflects a long-standing structural gap between the cost of purchased power and revenue realization across the Union Territory. They added that while the government is pushing for 100% metering, especially through smart meters, billing reforms and recovery drives continue to be implemented in phases.
