Riyaz Bhat
Srinagar, June 12 : Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar Thursday said that the Jammu and Kashmir power development department is way ahead than the other states in terms of development in smart meters.
Speaking with reporters, the Union Minister, said the Aggregate Technical and commercial (AT&C) losses in Jammu and Kashmir is still above the national average.
He said he met the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and held a review meeting of both power and housing department. “In both sectors, there is a satisfactory development and work is being done very well,” he said.
He said that Jammu and Kashmir has a huge achievement in terms of smart meters and pre-paid smart meters. “However, the arrangements of distribution systems of the DISCOMs were not good for a long in terms of AT&C losses which is now being worked on. The measures being taken to overcome the issue is also remarkable.”
He further said the financial gap between ACS and AR is also a parameter that can help DISCOMs to reduce the losses, and there is a need to work on it also.
The minister also said although, there has been some improvement in AT&C losses from the past four years but it is still above the national average. “We will have to take advantage and use the opportunity of Indus Water Treaty,” he said.
The minister further said they will enhance the capacity of the existing and new power projects—(KNO)
