Power Minister Claims ‘No Unscheduled Cuts’ in Kashmir Last Winter, Data Tells a Different Story
Srinagar, Oct 28, KNT: In a claim that has stirred both surprise and skepticism, the Jammu and Kashmir government on Tuesday told the Legislative Assembly that there were no unscheduled power cuts in the Kashmir valley during the last winter season, a period when sub-zero temperatures and severe load demand typically cripple electricity supply across the region.
Responding to a question from National Conference MLA Abdul Majeed Larmi, the Power Minister asserted that the government had ensured uninterrupted electricity throughout the harsh winter months despite a substantial increase in heating-related consumption. “No unscheduled power cuts were imposed in the valley,” the minister said in a written reply.
The minister informed the House that the long-standing practice of linking curtailment schedules with seasonal demand, higher cuts in Kashmir during winter and in Jammu during summer, has been abolished. “Scheduled curtailment is now capped at zero, two, and four hours for essential/below 15 percent loss feeders, 15–40 percent loss feeders, and 40 percent plus loss feeders, respectively,” the minister said, adding that these limits apply uniformly across both regions throughout the year.
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He further clarified that no “distress cuts” are permitted in Kashmir during the winter months or in Jammu during the summer. “Any additional load-shedding necessitated by power availability limitations is to be imposed only in Jammu between October and March, and in Kashmir between April and September,” the reply stated.
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Notably, last winter saw repeated complaints from households and traders about unscheduled blackouts, particularly in rural and high-loss areas.
Data from the Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL) reviewed by the news agency Kashmir News Trust earlier this year also reflected an uneven power-supply pattern, with multiple feeders showing prolonged downtimes due to “technical constraints” and “load imbalance.”
In what officials describe as a “structural correction,” the minister said the department has ended the previous practice of extending curtailment hours for feeders with higher power losses. Instead, disciplinary action is now being taken against field officers who fail to bill or recover energy dues.
“This shift has encouraged operational discipline and improved billing efficiency,” the minister said, noting that the move has led to “significant improvement in the recovery of power dues.”
While the government touts this as a policy breakthrough, several legislators privately questioned the authenticity of the data used to back the claim. “Either the figures are not reflecting the reality, or the definition of ‘unscheduled cuts’ has been altered,” one opposition MLA remarked, urging the government to release feeder-wise audit data to verify its claim. [KNT]
