Union Minister Manohar Lal stresses reforms in power distribution, smart metering and urban schemes to strengthen Jharkhand’s development journey

Ranchi, June 19, 2026: Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs Manohar Lal on Thursday reviewed key power sector initiatives and urban development schemes with the Jharkhand Government, focusing on improving electricity distribution, strengthening infrastructure and accelerating citizen-centric projects across the state.

The review meeting, held in Ranchi, was attended by Jharkhand Urban Development and Housing Minister Sudivya Kumar, senior officials from the state government, representatives from the Ministry of Power, Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs and various power sector public sector undertakings.

During the meeting, Manohar Lal emphasised the need for a detailed action plan to improve the performance of the state’s power sector and ensure reliable electricity supply to consumers. He reviewed the implementation of the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), operational efficiency of distribution companies, financial sustainability and future power demand planning.

The Minister highlighted concerns related to high Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses and the gap between Average Cost of Supply (ACS) and Average Revenue Realisation (ARR). He urged the state authorities to take effective measures to bring these indicators to sustainable levels and improve the overall financial health of power distribution companies.

He also stressed the importance of restructuring the debt liabilities of state DISCOMs and ensuring timely payment of outstanding electricity dues by government departments. The Minister called for a stronger mechanism to regularly clear pending payments and encouraged the conversion of government consumer meters into prepaid systems by August 31, 2026.

Discussing the expansion of smart metering, Manohar Lal directed authorities to prioritise installation of smart meters for high-load consumers, including commercial and industrial users, by the specified deadline. He also advised speeding up the installation process for other consumer categories to improve efficiency and transparency in electricity usage.

The meeting also reviewed Jharkhand’s future energy requirements, including resource adequacy and intra-state transmission planning. The Minister said that strengthening transmission infrastructure would be crucial to meeting rising electricity demand caused by industrial growth, urban expansion and increasing household consumption.

Special attention was given to electrification initiatives for tribal communities under the Dharti Aaba Janjatiya Gram Utkarsh Abhiyan. Manohar Lal asked the state government to accelerate implementation and ensure that eligible tribal households receive reliable electricity access.

The progress of renewable energy programmes, including the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana and PM-KUSUM scheme, was also discussed. The Minister encouraged Jharkhand to speed up implementation and meet targets under these initiatives, highlighting the importance of clean energy adoption.

He further suggested prioritising rooftop solar installations on government buildings, which would help reduce dependence on grid electricity and lower the financial burden on the state government.

Manohar Lal assured that the Centre would continue extending support and cooperation to Jharkhand for strengthening its power infrastructure and advancing urban development initiatives.

The Jharkhand Government welcomed the review and assured that necessary steps would be taken to improve the performance of the power sector, accelerate ongoing projects and ensure timely implementation of centrally supported schemes.

The meeting underlined the Centre’s focus on creating a modern, efficient and sustainable infrastructure ecosystem that supports economic growth and improves quality of life for citizens.