Ensure only 8-hour power cuts in non-metered areas: CS

Srinagar:  Chief Secretary Arun Kumar Mehta Thursday called for ensuring the scheduled eight-hour cut in power supply in non-metered areas and taking measures for uninterrupted power supply to all smart-metered habitations where the Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses were as per norms.

An official spokesman in a statement issued here said that reviewing winter preparedness, the chief secretary said, “The scheduled 8-hour cut in non-metered areas should be ensured besides taking measures for uninterrupted power supply to all the smart metered habitations where AT&C losses are as per norms.”

He directed the divisional administration for the replacement of damaged transformers within a period of 8 hours in urban areas and 24 hours in rural areas.

Mehta asked for increasing the vigil through enforcement teams to curb illegal usage of electricity.

He asked for running an IEC campaign on local and social media to make people aware of the benefits of timely deposition of their electricity bills.

The chief secretary said that people should be made aware that borrowing Rs 31,000 crore to pay for purchasing electricity was taking a toll on other people-centric measures.

He said that the people of J&K were intelligent enough to understand and cooperate with the administration in its efforts.

Mehta also enjoined the concerned district administrations to take all the measures to ensure vibrant winters here.

He urged the divisional administration to ensure quality power supply, ration, and timely snow clearance during the winters.

The chief secretary asked them that the roads to all the tourist places should be cleared of snow promptly so that these remain open to the public all the time.

He advised them to provide these places the power supply and other amenities without any undue disruptions in the winter months.

Mehta also urged the divisional and district administrations to carry out a month-long cleanliness drive in all the government offices and schools of J&K.

Reviewing the Swachhta Mission here, he impressed upon the officers that since villages of J&K had been declared as ODF Model category, it was imperative to make all offices junk-free besides enhancing their ambiance and sprucing up their surroundings.

The chief secretary said that nearly 50,000 office premises including government school buildings should be properly cleaned to make them clean and aesthetic.

He asked them to install dustbins besides giving facelifts to these structures including cutting grass and whitewashing of their interiors and exteriors.

Mehta stressed making J&K litter-free by penalising littering on streets.

Reviewing the preparations for sending block-level Amrit Kalashs to New Delhi under ‘Meri Maati Mera Desh’, he underscored the need for making all arrangements at the district and divisional level to receive these soil urns and sending them onwards for the building of the national monument.

The chief secretary said that as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Culture, soil had been collected from each rural and urban household.

He asked for giving uniform attire to all those youth volunteers going to the national capital with respective Amrit Kalashs from their blocks and ULBs.

Mehta took note of the timely disposal of files in government offices.

He said that from the overall disposal of nearly 96 percent of files, the number should reach 99 percent by month’s end.

The chief secretary called for having no pendency beyond the scheduled time durations meant for each service.

He impressed upon all the officers to monitor the pending files daily so that those habitual of creating undue delays are identified.

Mehta also reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Navratri festival.

He directed the administration to take all the measures for the smooth conduct of this festival.

The chief secretary told them to provide uninterrupted water and power supply to all the areas where this festival is celebrated by the people.

He called for taking cleanliness drives and other measures in the areas where people assemble for festivities for all days of this festival.

Commissioner Secretary, GAD; Commissioner Secretary, Industries and Commerce; Secretary, Tourism and Culture, both the Divisional Commissioners and all Deputy Commissioners also attended the meeting.