Jammu: J&K Chief Secretary will lead a 5-member Union Territory Distribution Reforms Committee for effective and smooth implementation of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme notified by the Government of India.
In this connection, the J&K government also sanctioned the constitution of District Electricity Committees.
The Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS) has been approved by the Government of India to help DISCOMS (Power Distribution Companies) improve their operational efficiencies and financial sustainability by providing result-linked financial assistance to DISCOMS to strengthen supply infrastructure based on meeting pre-qualifying criteria and achieving basic minimum benchmarks. The scheme has an outlay of Rs 3,03, 758 Cr over five years i.e., FY 2021-22 to FY 2025-26. The outlay includes an estimated Government Budgetary Support (GBS) of Rs 97, 631 Cr.
Besides the Chief Secretary as its chairman, the Union Territory Distribution Reforms Committee (UTDRC) will comprise the Administrative Secretaries of Finance Department; Power Development Department, Forest and Revenue Departments as its members. As per its terms of reference, the panel will review the progress of the scheme at the UT level and will recommend the action plan for the Administrative Council or the cabinet.
The panel will also recommend the Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) for approval of the Monitoring Committee. “It will approve changes, if required in the mode of execution with the consent of the nodal agency and will monitor the implementation of the action plan and the physical and financial progress including quality of the projects under the Scheme,” said GAD Commissioner Manoj Kumar Dwivedi.
The mandate of the District Electricity Committees will be to ensure the involvement and oversight of people and exercise the oversight of all Government of India’s schemes, besides, its impact on the provision of these services to the people. District Electricity Committees will comprise the senior most MP in the district as its chairperson; other MPs in the district as co-chairperson and District Collector as member secretary.
The chairperson or president of the District Panchayat and senior-most representatives of CPSUs of Ministry of Power and NRE located in the concerned district or their nominated officials for the district will be its members. Chief Engineer or Superintending Engineer of the DISCOM or Power Development Department (PDD) will be its convener.
As per the terms of reference, the Chief Engineer or Superintending Engineer of the DISC0M (convener) will ensure presence of the chairperson or president of the District Panchayat and senior-most representatives of CPSUs of Ministry of Power and NRE located in the concerned district or their nominated officials for the district.