PSPCL fails to strengthen T&D system

Submitted by VK Gupta on Mon, 14/01/2013 - 5:45am

Power Corporation fails to strengthen T&D system
Tribune News Service

Patiala, January 13
Notwithstanding the tall claims of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), the PSEB Engineers' Association has accused the management of the corporation of not creating proper infrastructure for strengthening the Transmission and Distribution (T&D) system.

Association president Baldev Singh Sran said in the next couple of years the power generation capacity of the state is likely to witness an increase of about 5,000MW.

Sran said, “Matching sub-transmission/T&D system and other requisite infrastructure is required for the proper handling of the additional generation. The additional power will not reach the consumers in case an adequate T&D system is not created immediately. Further, the existing T&D system is excessively over-loaded and obsolete, which needs immediate augmentation but due to an inadequate organisational structure, the work is being delayed.”

Many of the technocrats pointed out that the maintenance and upkeep of the existing grid sub-stations had also been ignored. “SDOs are manning 30-35 grid sub-stations against the norms of 6-7 grids, which lead to poor supervision of the maintenance of the grid sub-stations. As the new grids are being added each year, their maintenance assumes utmost importance for providing quality supply to the consumers,” pointed out Association general secretary Sanjeev Sood.

The association also rued that there was virtually no progress in execution of the 1320MW Mukerian Thermal Project. “The association had discussed these issues with CM Parkash Singh Badal during a meeting in October, wherein the CM had instructed the corporation to ensure that the steps suggested by the association were implemented at the earliest. But unfortunately, the PSPCL management has failed to implement them," regretted leaders of the association.

Meanwhile, the association has also taken a strong note of the reported recent decision taken by the Punjab Power Corporation that the prior sanction of the Punjab government was required to create posts. The association has said the move nothing has undermined the autonomy of the power companies, which were against the concept of creating corporate entities to grant it full autonomy in order to provide efficient service to the consumers.