SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir government said it was not possible for it to provide round-the-clock electricity supply to consumers at the moment due to lack of resources."It (electricity supply for 24 hours) is not possible at the moment as the state does not have the required resources needed for replacing obsolete infrastructure," Minister of State for Power Mohammad Ashraf Mir said in the Assembly during Question Hour.
Mir said the improvement in the power structure required huge amount of funds which were not available to the state. "We have some Centrally sponsored schemes sanctioned (for the purpose) and improvement will take time," he said.
The state government is making strenuous efforts to improve power infrastructure within the available resources, the minister said. He said the infrastructure is being upgraded under Central schemes like R-APRDRP, IPDS and DDUGJY on equitable basis in all the constituencies.
Mir said priority is being given to complete ongoing power works and the government is striving to bring all uncovered areas under electrification. In reply to a question by PDP MLA Mohammad Abbas Wani, the minister said Rs 10 crore each have been released in last two years for improvement of high tension and low tension network in various districts of Kashmir.
During the current financial year, the government has released Rs 7.50 crore for Kashmir Valley for the said purpose, the minister stated. In reply to another question in the Legislative Council, Mir said the government has fixed a target of Rs 3478.62 crore for collection of power tariff during the current fiscal.
He said out of this, Rs 1470.45 crore has been fixed for Kashmir division and Rs 2008.17 crore for Jammu division.