Distribution losses for 2012-‘13 at 60.4 pc
Itanagar: The Arunachal Chamber of Commerce & Industries (ACCI) has expressed strong objection against the power department for not making optimal use of the state’s own hydro-power stations but purchasing power from outside at the cost of the state exchequer and then passing the cost to its consumers.
In a representation to the state electricity regulatory Commission secretary, the ACCI sought clarification in the matter and urged the secretary to direct the department to “optimise the use of domestic resources, reduce the cost of power purchase and increase revenue through sale of surplus power available from our share of the central sector power projects.”
Referring to the department’s petition for annual revenue requirement and tariff proposal for the 2014-’15 period, the ACCI noted that its transmission and distribution losses for 2012-’13 was ‘abnormally high’ at 60.4 per cent.
It said the status reflected the department’s inefficiency to reduce the losses ‘and the same has been passed on to poor, hapless, honest consumers who have been penalised.’
It also, said the North Eastern Regional Load Despatch Centre, which restricts power drawal during the lean season, to direct the Power department here to enter into banking arrangements for the surplus power available during the high hydro season (April-September) with other power-starved states, “so that the power so banked can be bartered during the lean season.”
The department’s proposal for purchase of power is also not justified, it said, adding that the power purchased during 2012-’13 was less than the cost of the power purchased during 2011-’12.
“The saving on account of this is Rs 33.60 crore. The benefit of saving should have been passed on to the consumers, but the department and the commission both did not propose, and instead hiked the tariff for the following years,” it said. (UNI)