Jammu, Feb 23: Senior IAS officer Ashwani Kumar on Monday assumed charge as Additional Chief Secretary of the Power Development Department at the Civil Secretariat in Jammu.

Soon after taking over, Kumar convened a meeting with senior officials of the department to assess its overall functioning, review ongoing projects and identify priority areas requiring intervention. Chief Engineers and other senior functionaries briefed him on the status of transmission and distribution networks, infrastructure upgrades and existing operational challenges.
During the interaction, the new ACS emphasized the strategic importance of the power sector in supporting economic activity and public welfare across Jammu and Kashmir. He called for improved coordination among wings of the department to ensure timely completion of projects and better service delivery.
Sources present in the meeting said Kumar stressed the need to reduce transmission and distribution losses, enhance grid reliability and adopt modern technologies to improve efficiency. He also underlined the importance of addressing consumer grievances promptly and ensuring uninterrupted supply, particularly during peak demand seasons.
The department is currently engaged in multiple infrastructure expansion and strengthening projects aimed at modernizing the power network in both Jammu and Kashmir divisions.