VDS generates Rs 41-cr revenue for PSEB
Tribune News Service

Patiala, December 31
The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) has generated Rs 41.2 crore as revenue from its Voluntary Disclosure Scheme (VDS) launched to declare actual load and get unauthorised load regularised.

PSEB officials said since the scheme ended today, the exact figure of the total revenue generation from the fee being charged from beneficiaries would be available in a couple of days.

Upbeat over the success of the scheme, senior officials said it received an overwhelming response, as a large number of consumers disclosed their actual load and paid the fee for the regularisation of the same.

PSEB Chairman HS Brar said a total of 92,903 agricultural consumers and 5,062 domestic/non-residential category consumers opted for the scheme. “After opting for the scheme, the authorised load increased by 30,659-KW for domestic/non-residential category and 33,5044-BHP (horsepower) for agricultural category. The PSEB generated Rs 41.2 crore as revenue in way of the requisite fee charged for sanctioning the unauthorised load”, the Chairman added.

For agricultural and domestic/non-residential category consumers, the board had introduced this scheme on November 1 and December 1, respectively. It provided the opportunity to consumers to assess their load and declare actual load till December 31.

The board management appealed domestic/non-residential category consumers to declare unauthorised loads, as it would help the board in augmenting the system to meet with increased demand in the summers.

Meanwhile, to improve an overall working of the board, the Chairman today convened a meeting with PSEB zonal chief engineers and laid emphasis on reduction of transmission and distribution losses. He directed officers to spearhead an anti-theft drive, provide UPS supply to water supply works, segregate agricultural load from domestic load and augment transmission system to meet with increased power demand.

The PSEB Chairman also instructed all zonal chief engineers to daily monitor power supply of their area and take steps against theft of power, so that transmission and distribution losses could be reduced.

Brar also directed them to identify high-loss area and take steps to reduce losses in their respective zones.