New Delhi Approves Over $643 million USD for Power Sector Overhaul in Indian-Administered Kashmir

SRINAGAR, Indian-Administered Kashmir — The Indian government has approved projects worth more than $642 million USD to strengthen the electricity infrastructure in Indian-administered Jammu and Kashmir, with a comprehensive focus on reducing transmission and distribution losses, implementing smart metering across the territory, and enhancing the overall efficiency of the power system.

The detailed information was provided by India’s Minister of State for Power, Shripad Naik, in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of India’s parliament. The response came following an unstarred question raised by Sat Sharma, a Member of Parliament representing the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), who had sought specifics regarding the strengthening of power infrastructure in the region.

Completed Projects Under Central Schemes

In his detailed submission to the House, Minister Naik informed parliament that projects worth ₹2,909 crore have already been completed in Jammu and Kashmir under various central flagship schemes. These initiatives have been implemented through:

· Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY): Focused on rural electrification and feeder separation.
· Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS): Aimed at strengthening sub-transmission and distribution networks in urban areas.
· Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA): Designed to achieve last-mile electrification and provide electricity connections to all households.

Furthermore, the Minister stated that an additional ₹2,780 crore worth of projects have been completed under the Prime Minister’s Development Package (PMDP). These projects were specifically intended to improve the power distribution system and associated infrastructure across the Union Territory, targeting both urban centers and remote rural areas.

Major New Investment Under RDSS

Looking toward future upgrades, Minister Naik announced that projects exceeding ₹6,000 crore have been approved for Jammu and Kashmir under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS). According to the Minister, these newly approved projects have been designed with three primary objectives:

1. Reducing Line Losses: Implementing technical upgrades to minimize Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses, which have historically been a challenge in the region.
2. Smart Meter Installation: Rolling out smart metering across the territory to improve billing efficiency, reduce unmetered consumption, and provide consumers with better usage data.
3. System Efficiency Enhancement: Upgrading the overall power distribution infrastructure to ensure greater reliability and performance.

Addressing Chronic Winter Power Shortages

In response to ongoing concerns regarding frequent power outages during the harsh winter months—a question specifically raised by MP Sat Sharma—the Minister outlined the measures being taken by the central government to mitigate shortages.

Minister Naik stated that the Ministry of Power allocates additional electricity to Jammu and Kashmir from central power stations every year specifically to address the heightened demand and supply constraints during the winter season.

Providing specific data for the current winter period, he detailed that from October 2025 to February 2026, the region has been supplied with:

· 120 MW of unallocated power from the Patratu Thermal Power Plant.
· 292.99 MW from the NTPC Kahalgaon Super Thermal Power Station.

These allocations, he noted, are part of ongoing efforts to supplement the region’s power availability during the coldest months when demand surges and local generation capacity, particularly from hydel sources, can be constrained.

Official Reasons for Persistent Power Cuts

Sat Sharma, who also serves as the President of the BJP’s Jammu and Kashmir unit, had specifically raised a question in the Rajya Sabha asking whether the government had identified the causes behind the repeated power cuts during winter and what steps were being taken to overcome them.

In his detailed response, Minister Naik clarified that power distribution is a matter that falls within the jurisdiction of the respective state or Union Territory administration. Citing a report from the Jammu and Kashmir administration, he outlined the primary reasons for winter power shortages:

· Limitations in Transmission and Distribution Systems: The existing infrastructure faces capacity constraints during peak winter demand.
· Substantial Unmetered Consumption: Significant areas, particularly in certain pockets, continue to operate without metering, leading to excessive and unaccounted electricity usage that strains the system.

Political Response and Way Forward

Responding to the Minister’s statement, MP Sat Sharma emphasized that through effective implementation of these measures and sustained efforts, quality and uninterrupted electricity can be provided to the people, especially during the demanding winter season.

Sharma lauded the central government’s initiatives for reforming and modernizing the power sector under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stated that such proactive policies are strengthening infrastructure and improving service delivery in regions like Jammu and Kashmir.

The Minister concluded his response by reiterating that the approved projects, combined with annual power allocations, represent the government’s commitment to addressing the region’s power challenges.

Regional Context

The Himalayan region of Kashmir has been divided between India and Pakistan since their partition in 1947. Both countries claim the territory in full, and it remains a flashpoint for conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbors. India administers its portion as the union territory of Jammu and Kashmir, a status change implemented in August 2019 that removed the territory’s special autonomous status under Article 370.

The Indian government maintains that its development projects in the region, including those in the power sector, are aimed at improving living standards and infrastructure for local residents, particularly in remote and high-altitude areas that face extreme weather conditions for much of the year.