The Hindu : 11 States to get incentives for reducing losses in power sector

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 15, 2003

National

National

11 States to get incentives for reducing losses in power sector

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI DEC. 14. In what is seen as positive signs of recovery by power sectors following introduction of the reform regime, 11 States, including Maharashtra, Haryana, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, have reportedly cut down their financial losses in the last two years to the tune of Rs. 8,000 crores. As a result of this turnaround, these States have become eligible for incentives from the Centre.

Exuding optimism and painting a rosy picture of the power sector on the sidelines of a function held for presentation of awards for `energy conservation' today, the Power Minister, Ananth Geete, and the Power Secretary, R.V. Shahi, said that "loss reduction on realisation would be considered as savings and not the accruals of the State Electricity Boards.''

"Besides putting in place the Electricity Act 2003, the Ministry of Power has taken various initiatives and the results are here to see,'' Mr. Shahi said, adding that once they (the SEBs) submitted audited figures, 50 per cent of their savings would be compensated through an incentive scheme under the Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP).

Mr. Shahi said the collection rate (recovery of current dues) of the National Thermal Power Corporation, the Power Grid Corporation and the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation have increased significantly and ruling above 90 per cent. The Electricity Act 2003 was necessary as it facilitated the reform process. The APDRP, he said, has been in operation and the power sector was taking advantage of the scheme and the Ministry has proposed to involve at least 500 industrial houses in the process by the next year from the nearly 200 existing now. Speaking at the function earlier, Mr. Geete said that under the APDRP, the Government was planning to invest upto Rs. 20,000 crores in the next five years for upgradation of the distribution system. New techniques have become available for improving the distribution system and funds from the APDRP would be channelised for this purpose.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National