The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : ‘T&D losses have come down’

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Jun 07, 2009
ePaper | Mobile/PDA Version

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

‘T&D losses have come down’

Special Correspondent

‘Reforms in power sector have yielded results’
Target set to cut distribution losses to 15 p.c. by 2012

BANGALORE: Karnataka Electricity Board Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes Welfare Association president A. Shivanna on Friday said transmission and distribution losses had come down to four and 20 per cent from seven and 26 per cent respectively, saving energy worth crores of rupees.

He was presiding over a function organised by the association, here, to celebrate the 118th birth anniversary of B.R. Ambedkar. It was inaugurated by Energy Minister K.S. Eshwarappa and attended by Minor Irrigation Minister Govind Karjol and Women and Child Development Minister P.M. Narendra Swamy and senior officers in the Energy Ministry.

Mr. Shivanna said the reforms introduced in 1996 had yielded results and employees, including 8,500 members of the association, mostly fieldworkers such as mazdoors and gangmen, had strived hard to reduce the losses. He said that a target had been set to bring down distribution losses to 15 per cent by 2012.

However, the Government was yet to act on the charter of demands put forward by the association. The demands included absorption, confirmation and promotion of mazdoors, gangmen and others. He said that 26 people had died while on duty, but they had not been given retirement benefits or compensation, purely on technical grounds.

Every year, the number of consumers was increasing, and 101 new substations were set up all over the State without a commensurate increase in the number of workers to man them, he said.

Mr. Eshwarappa invited the office-bearers of the association to discuss their demands. He suggested that the association adopt at least 100 Dalit students and provide them with education. Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. and other government agencies would extend help. He gave away cash awards to meritorious Dalit students who scored high marks in the SSLC examination.

Mr. Karjol and Mr. Swamy unveiled a portrait of Ambedkar and felicitated Dalit sportspersons on the occasion.

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

Karnataka