Karnataka - Bangalore   

Escoms propose metering of IP sets

BANGALORE: The proposed free power to be supplied to irrigation pumpsets (IP) of farmers is likely to come with a rider — that meters should be installed for the IP sets.

Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa had recently reiterated his commitment to provide free power to farmers as per the poll promise made by his party.

In this context, the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited and the Electricity Supply Companies (Escoms) are learnt to have proposed to the Government to install meters to the IP sets, if it wants to supply free power to farmers.

At present, most of the 16 lakh IP sets in the State do not have meters though they account for 27 to 30 per cent of the overall power consumption.

Hence, there is no accuracy with respect to the data on power consumption by IP sets and the associated energy losses.

The metering programme of the Escoms could not make much progress with respect to IP sets as farmers were opposed to it thinking that power utilities might link the tariff with the actual consumption.

Now, the Escoms are keen to use this opportunity to install meters for IP sets.

The Escoms have indicated that the Government has to reimburse the power bills of farmers. In addition to the already committed subsidy of Rs. 1,700 crore to the power sector, the Escoms have sought an additional allocation of Rs. 291 crore per quarter.

They want the Government to pay the additional subsidy at the beginning of each quarter of the financial year instead of the present method of making a one-time payment at the end of the year.

Sources said that the Escoms have sought the additional subsidy because they have to buy costly power to take care of the power requirements of IP sets in the wake of power shortage in the State.

Today, the irrigation pumpsets are levied a tariff of 54 paise a unit, while the average cost of supply of power is over Rs 3.5 a unit. Even with this subsidised tariff, the revenue recovery from this category is said to be less than 10 per cent.

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