Power sector reforms to save Rs 8,000 cr
Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, October 21
Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal today unveiled a plan to reduce the demand for electricity in the state by 1,850 MW and ensure the reliability of supply thereby saving nearly Rs 8,000 crore by the end of the next fiscal (2010-11).

Addressing mediapersons Badal said the PSEB had taken a series of low-cost maintenance measures coupled with a customer-friendly approach to install 1.92 crore CFLs in 48 lakh households in the state under the Bachat Lamp Yojna.

The Chief Minister further said the board had also introduced a scheme related to a high-voltage distribution system in agricultural pump sets. The scheme involved the conversion of a low-voltage distribution system to a high-voltage distribution system on 11 KV agricultural pump sets (AP feeders).

This scheme would reduce the demand for power by 200 MW and be completed by December 31, 2010. Another scheme of power factor management to install capacitors of 2100 MV AR capacity on the system was also being implemented at a cost of Rs 24 crore. This scheme would result in the reduction of 200 MW demand and was likely to be completed by December 31, 2012.

To save power on agricultural tubewells, the board had introduced a scheme to install energy-efficient pumps on AP consumers.