24X7 quality, reliable and affordable power supply necessary for India to become a developed nation: RK Singh

TBB BUREAU

NEW DELHI, APR 10, 2023

Emphasizing the importance of a viable and modern Power Sector in the overall economic growth of the country, Union Power & NRE Minister RK Singh on Monday stressed that 24×7 quality, reliable and affordable power supply to all the electricity consumers in the country is necessary for India to become a developed nation.

Chairing the two-day Review Planning & Monitoring (RPM) meeting with States and State Power Utilities here today, Minister Singh said that that the DISCOMs as well as GENCOs have been benefitted from the Late Payment Surcharge Rules 2022, notified by the Ministry in June 2022. He also emphasised the importance of correct subsidy accounting.

The Minister reiterated that Smart prepaid metering is the only solution to overcome the issues of delayed billing and inadequate payments.

The Minister stressed on the need to ensure Resource adequacy in terms of availability of Generation capacity to meet the increasing demand for electricity. He also advised to take up planned maintenance during lean period of demand. Investment in the electricity generation was necessary to meet the increasing demand for electricity in the country, he said while reiterating the importance of viability in power sector to attract investment in the sector.

The collective effort from all the stakeholders including state/central government, utilities and industry will ensure seamless transition towards an economically viable and environmentally sustainable Power Sector in the country, Singh said.

During the meeting, the Minister also launched the RDSS module of Integrated Web Portal for Power Distribution Sector Schemes. The portal will revolutionize the monitoring of all Distribution Sector schemes. This innovative platform will provide real-time updates and insights into the implementation of power distribution schemes including RDSS, enabling transparency and efficiency.

The Union Minister also launched the 11th Integrated Rating of Power Distribution Utilities – 2022, 2nd Consumer Service Rating of DISCOMs – 2022 and the State Energy Efficiency Index – 2022 during the occasion.