Centre directs states to form district-level committees to oversee progress of power sector schemes

The Centre has directed states and union territories (UTs) to form a committee in all districts to oversee the progress of various power sector schemes of the Government of India, according to an official statement.

The Ministry of Power said it has issued an order for the setting up of district level committees which shall exercise oversight over all power-related schemes of the Centre, as also its impact on the provision of services to the people.

This is being done in order to ensure the involvement and oversight of the people in the process of power sector reforms and their implementation, in the country, it said.

The order -- which has been addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/ Secretary (Power/Energy) of all states/UTs, requests them to notify and ensure establishment of these district electricity committees, under intimation to the Ministry of Power.

The order also states that it will be the responsibility of the convenor and member secretary to conduct the meetings on a regular basis, the statement said.

"The senior most Member of Parliament in the district will be the chairperson of the committee, other MPs in the district will be co-chairpersons. The district collector will be member secretary. Chairperson/President of the District Panchayat will be member, MLAs of the district will be members. Most senior representatives of CPSUs of Ministry Members of Power and NRE located in the concerned district, or their nominated officials for the district," the statement added.

The committee would see progress and quality issues of power related schemes of the Centre. It will look into development of sub-transmission and distribution networks including regular operations and maintenance of the network.

The committee will also assess the impact of the works on quality and reliability of power supply, besides standards of performance and consumer services quality of supply.

The Union Government has been providing funds under different schemes for strengthening the distribution systems in the country.

According to the statement, in the past five years about Rs 2 lakh crore was provided under Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY), Integrated Power Development Scheme (lPDS), Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana (SAUBHAGYA), etc to ensure universal access by electrifying each village and hamlet, and household.

The fund was also spent for setting up more substations, upgrading existing substations, for high tension/low tension lines, transformers etc, for strengthening the distribution systems.

Recently, the government approved a new scheme of Rs 3 lakh crore for further strengthening the distribution systems wherever necessary, and modernising it to meet emerging challenges.

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