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| PAC takes strong exception for not formulating state electricity plan | | | Bashir Assad
SRINAGAR, Mar 13: Committee on Public Accounts has taken strong exception to what it termed casual approach of the Power Development Department in the implementation of statutory provisions of the J&K Electricity Act, 2010 which provides for formulation of State electricity Policy for Development power system in the state based on optimal utilization of resources.
As per a report submitted by the Committee on Public Accounts headed by former Deputy Chief Minister, Muzaffar Hussain Baigh to the State legislature in 2011-12 said that despite enactment of J&K Act in 2010, no State electricity policy or State electricity plan in accordance with the State electricity policy had been formulated by the department up to the period of audit, June 2012, as a result of which works were taken up for execution in a stand alone mode without taking into account 'the assessment of demand' and 'requirement of capacity additions'.
The committee observed that the reply by the department in respect of the audit findings was incomplete and evasive and reflected casual report of the department. The committee observed that the reply of the department was a dereliction in an effort to misguide the committee as well as the Auditing Agency.
The committee described the statement made by the department as shameful taking for-granted the credibility by stating, however, the formulation of the State Electricity policy/plan shall be taken up in due course after consultation with our stakeholders." The committee wanted to know as to what were the meanings of the statement, " in due course" after 3 years of the enactment of law in 2010. This casual approach of the department in dealing with the audit observations was viewed very seriously by the committee and the department was asked to remain cautious in this behalf.
The Committee finally asked for the information on;
1. The reasons for non formulation of State electricity policy and State electricity plan till date,
2. Region wise, the huge gap between power receipts and expenditures on purchase of power giving also the detail of steps taken for minimizing the gap,
3. Region wise, detail of 'peak hour supply and demand' and the steps taken to overcome the shortfall,
4. The details of registered/unregistered consumers and the action taken for registration of consumers in all categories under the relevant provisions of the act,
5. The reasons for load shedding under restricted demand,
6. The percentage of metering and the steps taken to achieve the target,
7. The criteria adopted for repairing the damaged transformers and the reasons for delay in their repairing,
8. The system evolved for purchase of transformers and other allied material,
9. The criteria adopted for fixation of tariff under all categories in the state. |
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