The first meeting of the District Electricity Committee, Department of Power, Nagaland was held at the DC’s Conference Hall, Dimapur, on August 19, 2026. Chairperson of DEC and Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, S. Supongmeren Jamir, attended the meeting.
Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, Dr. Tinojongshi Chang, NCS, chairing the meeting welcomed the members and officials. He said it was the first meeting of the committee and thanked all members for attending.
The Department of Power, Nagaland, made a power point presentation on Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), a scheme of the Ministry of Power, Government of India, aimed at improving the quality and reliability of electricity supply, strengthening distribution infrastructure, reducing Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses and improving the financial sustainability of the power distribution sector.
The committee reviewed smart metering, loss-reduction works, installation and upgradation of transformers, 11 kV and 33 kV lines, reconductoring, cabling and electrification of left-out households.
For Dimapur, sanctioned works include new and upgraded 11 kV lines, distribution transformers, reconductoring of 11 kV and 33 kV lines and HT cabling. The total sanctioned cost of the works presented was around ₹459.22 crore.
During the meeting, the implementation of smart metering under RDSS was discussed in detail, including the progress achieved and challenges being faced on the ground. Jamir sought clarification on whether there were difficulties in installing smart meters, particularly as some consumers were reluctant to accept the new meters. The committee stressed the need for greater awareness among consumers and effective coordination to facilitate smooth installation.
Reviewing the progress of smart metering across the state, it was informed that a total of 3,17,210 consumer meters, 6,276 DT meters, 24 boundary meters and 368 feeder meters had been awarded under the scheme. In Dimapur, 76,368 consumer meters, 1,574 DT meters, three boundary meters and 52 feeder meters were awarded, with 21,568 consumer meters, 386 DT meters and 44 feeder meters installed as of August 14, 2026.
Quality assurance measures, including field inspections and physical verification of RDSS works, were also reviewed. Two flying squads headed by Superintending Engineers had been constituted for inspection of smart metering and infrastructure works.
The meeting also reviewed the Rooftop Solar (RTS) component under PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. A total of 826 RTS applications had been received through the National Portal, of which 473 installations had been completed, with a total installed capacity of 1.58 MW.
The committee also reviewed the financial progress of RDSS. As of August 12, 2026, ₹115.84 crore had been released and utilised under the Government of India component, while ₹13.55 crore had been released and utilised under the State component.
The meeting stressed the importance of timely implementation, quality control and coordination among stakeholders. It also highlighted the need to address right-of-way and land-related issues and ensure effective installation of smart meters to achieve the objectives of RDSS.
(I.Tiakumla Ao, IA Dimapur)
