MP Jamir, DC Dimapur along with other officials during the DEC review meeting held at the DC’s Conference Hall in Dimapur on August 19. (DIPR Photo)
Dimapur, August 19 (MExN): The first meeting of the District Electricity Committee (DEC) of the Department of Power, Nagaland, was held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Conference Hall in Dimapur on August 19, with Lok Sabha MP and DEC Chairperson S. Supongmeren Jamir attending the meeting.
Deputy Commissioner Dimapur Dr Tinojongshi Chang, NCS, chaired the meeting and welcomed the members and officials. He noted that it was the committee’s first meeting and thanked all members for their participation.
The Department of Power made a presentation on the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), a Ministry of Power, Government of India initiative 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 various RDSS components, including 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 at the meeting was around Rs 459.22 crore.
The implementation of smart metering under RDSS was discussed in detail, including progress and challenges being faced on the ground. Jamir sought clarification on difficulties in installing smart meters, particularly in cases where consumers were reluctant to accept the new meters.
The committee stressed the need for greater consumer awareness and effective coordination among stakeholders to facilitate smooth installation.
Reviewing the progress of smart metering across Nagaland, the meeting was informed that 3,17,210 consumer meters, 6,276 distribution transformer (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 had been awarded. As of August 14, 2026, a total of 21,568 consumer meters, 386 DT meters and 44 feeder meters had been installed.
The committee also reviewed quality assurance measures, including field inspections and physical verification of RDSS works. Two flying squads headed by Superintending Engineers had been constituted to inspect smart metering and infrastructure works.
The Rooftop Solar (RTS) component under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana was also reviewed. 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 further reviewed the financial progress of RDSS. As of August 12, 2026, Rs 115.84 crore had been released and utilised under the Government of India component, while Rs 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 the RDSS.
