The Hindu : Discom CMDs promise better service

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 18, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Discom CMDs promise better service

By Our Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD, FEB. 17. By way of replies on the last day public hearing on Tuesday, CMDs of three out of the four power distribution companies reiterated their commitment to consumers and announced improvement schemes and higher projections to benefit the "ultimate pay masters".

They joined the chorus with the Transco, their parent company, to say that their balance sheets were well within the safety limits and that there was no need for hiking the tariff for the next energy year. However, the tirade against the utilities continued unabated with most of the day's 16 listed petitioners nailing them for woes of consumers such as the compulsion to pay Rs 5 at e-Seva centre for payment of bill. Led by B. V. Raghavulu, secretary, CPI(M), they doubted if there would not be any hike after the elections through "special appropriation and regulatory asset" for which provision was made in the estimates, and questioned the exaggerated load forecast which formed the basis for the pretext to set up more private power plants.

The Central Power Distribution Company said an underground cabling system had been taken up for Hyderabad-Secunderabad for avoiding interruptions/breakdowns, pilferage for which some areas in the city are known, and tree-cutting.

Mr Dinesh Kumar, CMD, said the scheme was grounded with Rs 75 crores received under Accelerated Power Development Reform Programme and from PFC out of Rs 400 crores earmarked for capital expenditure. He showed a deficit of Rs 865 crores for the year but hastened to add that the gap would be bridged with government subsidy and efficiency measures.

The budgetary estimates of the Eastern Power Distribution Company show the expenditure and income at Rs 1,907 crores and Rs 1,605, leading to a gap of Rs 302 crores. Y. Gopalakrishna Murthy, CMD, spelt out plan to increase the metered sales to 67 per cent and reduce the losses to 15.5 per cent, the best by any discom.

He said it made the Godavari pushkarams a grand success and it was adjudged the 165th among the 500 superweight companies in the country and 21st among the power utilities.

Regarding the Northen Distribution Company which, with jurisdiction over five Telanagna core districts, suffers the disadvantages of naxalites and having largest number of agriculture connections, its CMD, P. Gopal Reddy, said, their deficit was only Rs 371 crores.

The common promise made by the CMDs was to fully cover their areas with customers' service centres, with 1912 phone number attending to the problems cited by general consumers and another eight-digit phone meant for agriculture consumers.

Making a statement, the Principal Secretary, Energy, Jannath Hussain, reiterated the Government's commitment to "timely release of subsidy" towards the deficits for the next energy year beginning April 1.

The last round of the hearing will take place at Tirupati on February 19, covering the Southern Power Distribution Company along with the AP Transco.

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