After its much-ambitious venture of power sector reforms fizzled out, the UT Administration has now pinned its hopes on the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) for the execution of project.
Failing to even initiate the modernization of power sector in last few years, the UT Administration has written to the MHA seeking its assistance in the project. The Administration has urged the Ministry to advise the former on how to go about the project in the absence of a consultant to execute it.
Recently, the UT Administration had ended its association with consultant ‘Spenco’, which was hired in 2011 to prepare a detailed project report to execute modernization of UT Electricity Department. later, the UT Administration also planned to rope in NIC Chandigarh for the project but nothing could be finalized.
Now, the UT Administration is in a fix on how to move forward in the implementation of the modernization project. The Administration has also sought the assistance of MHA for setting up the data Centre for the project. For the execution of modernization project, a data Center would be set up which would work 24/7 recording data regarding electric load, consumers grievances among others.
When contacted, MP Singh, Superintending Engineer, UT Electricity wing said, “The UT Administration has sought assistance of Union Ministry of Home Affairs to implement the modernization of UT Electricity Department. A letter has been written to the MHA in his regard.”
He said, “We have urged the MHA to help us for the setting up of the data Centre. To implement the ambitious modernization plan, the UT Administration would have to set up 24 hours data centre, which would record data regarding electric load, metering of distribution transformers and feeders among others. And, the data centre could either be managed by the UT Electricity Department’s officials or hired consultants.”
A major face-lift in the UT power sector was proposed under the ‘Re-structured Accelerated Power Development Programme’ of the Centre aimed to bring reforms in the power sector across the country. As per the proposed plan, the UT Electricity Department aims to turn around
its ailing power sector in nearly eight months through all round power reforms including the introduction of Management Integrated System, Geographical Information system among other initiatives to boost e-governance in the working of the Department.
Under the modernization project, computerization of the UT Electricity Department would also be done. Also, a round-the-clock call centre for consumer grievance redress would be set up.