Principal Secretary Power Development Department (PDD), Rohit Kansal chaired a meeting here today to review the progress of several projects being carried out for strengthening IT and Communications Divisions of J&K PDD for the augmentation of power sector.The meeting was attended by Managing Director Kashmir Power Distribution Corporation Limited (KPDCL), Basharat Qayoom; Secretary (Technical) PDD, Bashir Ahmad Dar; Chief Engineer (Distribution) KPDCL, Ajaz Ahmad; Executive Engineer IT Division (PDD), Surjeel Ghani and other concerned.The meeting in detail discussed various aspects and other issues related to implementation of Information Technology in PDD, status and progress achieved for various ongoing projects under RAPDRP-A, TPIEA-IT Verification, SCADA/DMS project, RT-DAS,IT-Phase-II, smart metering, customer care service and other measures undertaken for feeder management and billing.The meeting also deliberated upon the issues pertaining to the projects like RAPDRP-A, Network & Security upgrade and AMC works of PDD.The meeting was informed that network and security devices have been upgraded to meet CERT-In compliances at DC & DRC, besides on boarding of Cyber Swachta Kendra is complied with, replacement of battery banks at Data Center and SAN Storage at DC, DRC etc.On the SCADA/DMS project for sub-station automation in Srinagar city, it was given out that installation of server hardware/UPS/VPS was completed and control center hardware was powered last month.
While discussing the smart metering in twin cities of Jammu and Srinagar, it was informed that consumer survey, supply and installation of IT Hardware at DC/DRC, besides RF design and server activity have been completed.With respect to IT-Phase-II, the meeting was told that the project is envisaging complete migration of all billing SDOs to Oracle utilities platform and the work is in progress on up gradation of SAN Storage and migration of database and application software to new SAN storage.While addressing the meeting, the Principal Secretary impressed upon the officers to make optimum use of technological interventions in the power sector to improve transmission, distribution and supply of power across the Union territory.On the occasion, Kansal asked the PDD officers to expedite all ongoing projects and ensure their timely completion so that people would get benefited and directed them to accelerate all the ground works for installation of smart metering in the Union Territory.While stressing for strengthening the IT cell of PDD, he asked officers to develop single integrated software that will provide information like losses, revenue collection and are also linked with transformers and feeders.He also maintained that as numerous steps have been taken to improve and reform the power supply system in J&K and added that there is always a room for further improvement in the system.He also exhorted the officers to develop consumer friendly information technology modules for generation and timely delivery of power bills to ensure target revenue realization.