The first meeting of the District Electricity Committee (DEC) of the Department of Power, Nagaland, was held at the DC’s Conference Hall, Dimapur, on August 19, with Member of Parliament, Lok Sabha, and Chairperson of the DEC, S Supongmeren Jamir, attending the meeting.

Deputy Commissioner, Dimapur, Dr Tinojongshi Chang, NCS, who chaired the meeting, welcomed the members and officials and noted that it was the first meeting of the committee. He thanked all members for their participation and stressed the importance of coordinated efforts in addressing electricity-related issues in the district.

The Department of Power, Nagaland, made a PowerPoint presentation on the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), a flagship 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 various components of RDSS implementation, including smart metering, loss-reduction works, installation and upgradation of distribution 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 during the meeting was around ₹459.22 crore.

A major part of the discussion focused on the implementation of smart metering under RDSS, including the progress achieved so far and challenges being encountered on the ground.

Jamir sought clarification on difficulties being faced in the installation of smart meters, particularly in cases where consumers were reluctant to accept the new meters. The committee stressed the need for greater public awareness regarding the benefits and functioning of smart meters, as well as effective coordination among the department, local authorities and consumers to facilitate smooth implementation.

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Reviewing the overall progress of smart metering in the State, the committee 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, 21,568 consumer meters, 386 DT meters and 44 feeder meters had been installed.

The meeting also reviewed quality assurance measures being undertaken to ensure that RDSS works are implemented according to prescribed standards. Field inspections and physical verification of works were discussed, with two flying squads headed by Superintending Engineers constituted to inspect smart metering and infrastructure works.

The committee further reviewed the Rooftop Solar (RTS) component under the PM Surya Ghar: Muft Bijli Yojana. It was informed that 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 financial progress of RDSS was also reviewed. 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 committee emphasised the importance of timely implementation, quality control and effective coordination among all stakeholders to ensure that the sanctioned projects translate into tangible improvements in electricity supply.

It also highlighted the need to address right-of-way and land-related issues, which can affect the execution of distribution infrastructure projects, while stressing the importance of effective installation of smart meters to achieve the objectives of RDSS.

The meeting concluded with an emphasis on coordinated monitoring and timely execution of the sanctioned works to improve the reliability and quality of electricity supply in Dimapur and strengthen the district’s power distribution infrastructure.