Power reforms essential to meet demand, supply gap: Abdullah

Jammu, Feb 7 (PTI) State Chief Minister Omar Abdullahtoday called for power reforms and said they were essential inassuring uninterrupted and quality supply of electricity tobridge the availability and demand gap.

"While attention has to be paid to increase theindigenous power generation, there is urgency for bringingabout change in Transmission and Distribution (T&D) system tocheck the losses and leakages on this count", he said whilecalling for new initiatives by the Power DevelopmentDepartment.

Abdullah said that the overall development of the statewas dependent on growth and availability of power and thesector was a priority in the government policy planning.

"Apart from endeavouring to launch new power projectsand ensure timely completion of the ongoing ones, we have toconcentrate on checking leakages and losses due to poortransmission and distribution system in the state", he said.

Laying emphasis on completion of schemes as per fixedtime frame, Omar called for fixing responsibilities for thedelays on this count.

"The status and progress of each scheme should beexamined by the Planning Department to ascertain the delays ifany and suggest measures for their checking", he said. (More)PTI AB DK