Power thefts: Corporations of Jammu and Kashmir in the red

Arjun Sharma

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Jammu, May 12

Both the power distributing corporations of Jammu and Kashmir have been facing over 50% aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses due to power theft for years, but nothing concrete has been done to recover the same so far. Instead of sealing the gaps, the corporations have now proposed increase in the power tariff to reduce the losses.

Interestingly, Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta are aware of the losses due to power theft and have also mentioned this in their official statements in the recent past.

Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (JPDCL) incurred 50.57% AT&C losses in 2019-20, 52.17% in 2020-21 and 50% in 2021-22. Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) incurred a whopping 74.06% loss in 2019-20, 69.01% in 2020-21 and 65% in 2021-22.

Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta, during a meeting of the Power Development Department (PDD) in March this year, had hinted towards connivance of officials in power theft. He had said, “Some of the feeders are still registering 80-90% AT&C losses which is unacceptable and the element of connivance cannot be ignored in such matters.”

Mehta had emphasised the reduction of AT&C losses to below 10% through installation of smart meters along with the usage of aerial bundled cables (ABC).

Orders were also issued to identify officials in whose areas feeders were exhibiting hefty losses and sustained electricity leakage through unauthorised connections.

The revenue gap of the JPDCL was Rs 912.35 crore in 2019-20, Rs 2,533.80 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 2,003.25 crore in 2021-22. The KPDCL saw revenue gap of Rs 1,531.81 crore in 2019-20 that rose to Rs 3,971.61 crore in 2020-21. The revenue gap was Rs 3,400.59 crore in 2021-22.

While the J&K government has not been able to provide round-the-clock electricity, the proposed power tariff is likely to add to the residents’ anger.

Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha had recently stated that no credible effort had been made for the past seven decades to increase the power capacity. The transmission and distribution capacity had not been strengthened, he added.

Revenue gap

• Rs 2,003.25 crore was JPDCL’s revenue gap in 2021-22, Rs 2,533.80 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 912.35 crore in 2019-20.
• Rs 3,400.59 crore was KPDCL’s revenue gap in 2021-22, Rs 3,971.61 crore in 2020-21 and Rs 1,531.81 crore in 2019-20.

Whopping losses in three fiscals

• Jammu Power Distribution Corporation Limited incurred 50.57% loss in 2019-20, 52.17% in 2020-21 and 50% in 2021-22.
• Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited incurred 74.06% loss in 2019-20, 69.01% in 2020-21 and 65% in 2021-22.