Tahir Mushtaq
JAMMU, Sep 28: There has been whopping increase of Rs 1036 crore in power purchase bill of Jammu and Kashmir in past eight years, with power bill likely to cross Rs 2507 crore during current year.
According to the data, from 2002-2010 period, the power bill has shown constant rise, pushing J&K under the debt trap of Rs 250 crore alone. Even the laxity on the part of Power Development Department (PDD) has also contributed in less revenue generation from the consumers, forcing Northern Grid to issue regular warning to the state government for last four years, to reform this sector.
It is pertinent to mention here that the power purchase bill during the year 2009 alone (January 2009 to December 2009) was Rs 2351.95 crore.
Data says that in Jammu region, unrestricted demand is 1250 MW, while in Kashmir valley this demand is 1450 MW, which comes to about 2700 MW.
Similarly restricted demand in Jammu region is 700 MW while in Kashmir it is 800 MW (total 1500 MW), and most of it has to be imported from outside the state, particularly from Northern Grid.
Document says that since peak demand occurs in Jammu region in summer and in Kashmir region in winter, the overall demand is nearly 2300 MWs against this demand presently total average availability of power varies between 1200 MW to 1400 MW leaving a power deficit between 37 per cent to 44 per cent.
“The state is meeting its power requirements partly through generation from its own power houses and mainly through imports from Northern Grid and we are making plans to tap more hydel potential”, said MoS Power Shabir Ahmed Khan. Khan said that reforming the power sector is long drawn process and cannot be streamlined in one go.
Besides above the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses in the state are also very high the order of 62 per cent due to the misuse and wastage of energy by the consumers which also leads to the increased gap between availability and demand.
Government document says that in winter power availability falls drastically because of fall in the hydel generation due to the reduced discharge in the rivers in both state and central sector projects whereas the consumption demand increases in these months.
JAMMU, Sep 28: There has been whopping increase of Rs 1036 crore in power purchase bill of Jammu and Kashmir in past eight years, with power bill likely to cross Rs 2507 crore during current year.
According to the data, from 2002-2010 period, the power bill has shown constant rise, pushing J&K under the debt trap of Rs 250 crore alone. Even the laxity on the part of Power Development Department (PDD) has also contributed in less revenue generation from the consumers, forcing Northern Grid to issue regular warning to the state government for last four years, to reform this sector.
It is pertinent to mention here that the power purchase bill during the year 2009 alone (January 2009 to December 2009) was Rs 2351.95 crore.
Data says that in Jammu region, unrestricted demand is 1250 MW, while in Kashmir valley this demand is 1450 MW, which comes to about 2700 MW.
Similarly restricted demand in Jammu region is 700 MW while in Kashmir it is 800 MW (total 1500 MW), and most of it has to be imported from outside the state, particularly from Northern Grid.
Document says that since peak demand occurs in Jammu region in summer and in Kashmir region in winter, the overall demand is nearly 2300 MWs against this demand presently total average availability of power varies between 1200 MW to 1400 MW leaving a power deficit between 37 per cent to 44 per cent.
“The state is meeting its power requirements partly through generation from its own power houses and mainly through imports from Northern Grid and we are making plans to tap more hydel potential”, said MoS Power Shabir Ahmed Khan. Khan said that reforming the power sector is long drawn process and cannot be streamlined in one go.
Besides above the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses in the state are also very high the order of 62 per cent due to the misuse and wastage of energy by the consumers which also leads to the increased gap between availability and demand.
Government document says that in winter power availability falls drastically because of fall in the hydel generation due to the reduced discharge in the rivers in both state and central sector projects whereas the consumption demand increases in these months.
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