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Discoms fail to curb power loss after two decades of reforms
Even after two decades of power sector reforms, power distribution companies (discoms) of the State have failed miserably to contain the high Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) losses.
The overall AT&C loss of the four discoms – Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu), North Eastern Electricity Supply Company (Nesco), Western Electricity Supply Company (Wesco) and Southern Electricity Supply Company (Southco) in the low transmission (LT) sector in the last fiscal was 57.67 per cent.
The average AT&C loss of the four discoms (both in LT and high transmission category) is nearly 39 per cent. The State Government had targeted to bring down the loss to 26 per cent by 2019. One per cent reduction of AT&C loss is expected to contribute `80 crore per annum to the State Government.
With an AT&C loss of 52.79 per cent in 2015-16, Cesu was able to reduce the loss by 2.32 per cent from the previous fiscal. However, loss reduction by Nesco was very marginal. The company reduced its loss level by 0.76 per cent from 56.38 per cent in 2014-15 to 55.62 per cent in 2015-16.
The LT loss of Wesco was highest among the four discoms. Despite having the advantage of highest number of HT consumers, the utility has utterly failed to bring down the AT&C loss in the LT category. The company’s AT&C loss was 72.69 per cent in the last fiscal as against 72.69 per cent in 2014-15.
Having majority of its consumers in the LT category, Southco was able to reduce the AT&C loss by 1.95 per cent from 56.34 per cent in 2014-15 to 54.39 per cent in 2015-16.
The discoms failed to bring down the AT&C loss despite infusion of fund from the State Government through various programmes including the ambitious Capex programme.
The Capex programme was launched to cut AT&C loss by three per cent each year.
Besides, the Government has also sanctioned fund for installation of 550 new 33/11 KV sub-stations in different blocks of the State for strengthening of distribution system, reduction of T&D losses and to ensure supply of quality power to consumers. The project estimated to cost `4,500 crore is still under implementation. Josh Doctson Jersey
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