District-Level Committees To Be Set Up To Exercise Oversight Over Centre's Power-Related Schemes: Union Power Ministry

The Ministry of Power has issued an order to set up district level committees to exercise oversight over all power related schemes of the Central government, an official release said on Friday (17 September).

The committees will also look at impact on the provision of power services to the people.

The committees are being set up to ensure the involvement and oversight of the people in the process of power sector reforms, and their implementation, in the country, the Ministry of Power said in a release.

The composition of the Committee would be:

(a) Most Senior MP in the district: Chairperson

(b) Other MPs in the district: Co-chairpersons

(c) District Collector: Member Secretary

(d) Chairperson/President of the District Panchayat: Member

(e) MLAs of the district: Members

(f) Most Senior representatives of Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) of Ministry, Members of Power and NRE located in the concerned district, or their nominated officials for the district.

(g) Chief Engineer or Superintending Engineer of the Convenor DISCOM/ Power Department concerned.

The order states that the committee of a district will meet at district headquarters at least once in three months to review and coordinate overall development of power supply infrastructure in the district in accordance with the schemes of the government which may, among other things, include the following aspects:

a. All Government of India schemes (power related), including their progress and quality issues.

b. Development of Sub-transmission and distribution network including regular operations and maintenance of network - identifying further areas where strengthening is needed.

c. Impact of the works on quality and reliability of power supply.

d. Standards of Performance and consumer services quality of supply.

e. Complaints and Grievance Redressal System.

f. Any other relevant matter

The order, addressed to the Additional Chief Secretary/Principal Secretary/ Secretary (Power/Energy) of all states and 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 regular basis and issue timely minutes.

According to the Power Ministry, the Union Government has been providing funds under different schemes for strengthening the distribution Systems in the country.

In the past five years, almost 2 lakh crore were 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 every village and every hamlet and every household; and for setting up more substations, upgrading existing substations, for high tension/low tension lines, transformers etc. for strengthening the distribution systems, the ministry said.

The ministry further added that the government has recently approved a new scheme of 3 lakh crore for further strengthening the distribution systems wherever necessary, and modernising it to meet emerging challenges.