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AGP seeks probe into ADB loan for power reforms

Guwahati: The opposition Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) on Sunday demanded a high level neutral probe into the utilisation of the Asian Development Bank (ADB) loan of Rs. 1,100 crore taken by the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) for undertaking power reforms. It has sought to look into alleged irregularities in the purchase of digital meters.

AGP general secretaries Hitendra Nath Goswami and Dilip Kumar Saikia told reporters here that of the Rs. 1,100 crore loan, Rs. 660 crore was meant for liquidating ASEB’s outstanding liabilities and Rs. 440 crore was to be utilized for undertaking nine projects under an extensive programme for renovation, augmentation and extension of the state’s transmission network.

The AGP leaders alleged that of these nine projects the ASEB gave priority only to purchasing digital meters and there were no visible efforts to implement the other eight projects. They said that the Board spent Rs. 90 crore to purchase over 3 lakh meters and was now planning to buy 3 lakh more. The opposition leaders demanded that the State Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi make the progress of the other eight projects, which were targeted to be completed by December 2007, public.

ASEB consumers raised a hue and cry all over the State when it sought to replace the old meters with the new digital meters. They alleged that the meters were faulty and demanded a halt to replacement of their old meters. Mr. Bordoloi, however, denied that the meters were faulty and described the opposition to digital electronic meters as conspiracy by vested interests to derail power reforms in the State.

Mr. Goswami, who was a former power minister during the AGP regime, pointed out that the Board had purchased the 3 lakh digital meters to replace about 2.4 lakh defective meters and to cover another 60,000 un-metered connections. He said that the Board should have first replaced the defective meters and provided digital meters to consumers having no meters. Only then should it have undertaken identification of the areas where theft had been occurring and installed digital meters accordingly.

Mr. Bordoloi, however, defended the ASEB move and said that the change was needed to stop pilferage of revenue. He also stated that the new meters are sophisticated and cannot be tampered with. He also announced the decision to engage Bangalore-based Central Power Research Institute to conduct random testing of the meters procured by the Assam State Electricity Board and said that if consumers had any doubts regarding their accuracy, Board would test the meters free of cost.

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AGP seeks probe into ADB loan for power reforms

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