PSEB incurs losses worth Rs 25cr
Nidhi Singhi, TNN 24 July 2009

LUDHIANA: Lack of maintenance and overloading on transformers is costing dear to the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) as scrap worth Rs 25
crores is being produced in the city every year.

According to information, PSEB's disposal branch collects wasted transformers and conductors from various parts of the state and sells them at auctions, arranged by the department at regular intervals.

Sources said there are around 40,000 transformers in the city and overloading was a major reason behind transformer losses.

Though PSEB has 11 central stores for maintenance, 4 for construction purpose at grids and 2 for transmission, equipments are in dire need of repair.

Sources said the material sold out by the electricity department was just 7% of the total equipment losses.
Officials said the department was troubled due to huge technical losses and unable to repair transmission and distribution system. As such, around 25% energy was being wasted.

Officials of the disposal wing said PSEB sold material of 6,500 transformers in 2006-07, while the figure rose to 7,236 in 2007-08 and in 2008-09, it was 9,412. The figure was expected to cross 10,000 in this session.

They said transformers of capacity 25KV, 63KV and 100 KV were being rendered defunct due to excess overloading in residential areas.

A PSEB official said, "The bad condition of electricity equipment affects the flow of power, due to which transformers go out of work. Some firms that use aluminum and iron for constructing iron and steel products, purchase obsolete material which the PSEB auctions later."

Meanwhile, HS Randhawa, deputy chief engineer PSEB, said, "We repair technical snags in transformers at their workshops, but when we find it difficult to do so, the material is sent to the disposal wing for auction. The funds go to PSEB accounts branch for further purchase."