PUNJAB NEWSLINE
Privitisation of power distribution for Gurgaon Panipat opposed
VINOD KUMAR GUPTA
Saturday, 13 March 2010
ROHTAK: Haryana Power Engineers and Workers joint action committee have opposed the privitisation of power distribution in Gurgaon and Panipat.

The Joint Action Committee in its meeting held today at Rohtak discussed the financial position of power utilities and the proposed privatization of power distribution in the state. It has been alleged that proposal to introduce franchisee system is a planned move to hide its failure.
RS Dahiya Chairman of the Joint Action Committee said that the debt of two power utilities has increased to Rs. 4099 crores and this deficit is rising by Rs. 500 crores every month. The power utilities have no funds to repay the loan and so are proposing privatizing of power sector. The money earned by way of franchisee system shall then be used to repay the loan.

The capital loans taken by power utilities are more than 10836 crores. The defaulting amount has increased to 3413 crores. Giving detail about technical losses he said that the average commercial line losses are 35 percent in UHBVN and 32 percent in DHBVN.

It has been alleged in today’s meeting that the management of two Discom’s are not putting correct information to Government on subjects like segregation of rural feeders, filing of annual revenue requirement in HERC, collection of current bills & arrear bills. The managements of two Discom’s is only dependent on advisor and consultant and do not take in to confidence engineers & workers of the power utilities.

It may be mentioned that government had directed both the distribution companies to restructure themselves by March 31.2006, so that creation of posts be ensured. But even after four years the management of Discom’s has not shown any interest to restructure the companies. This has resulted in to reduction of working staff to 48percent leading to dissatisfaction of consumers in the state.

In order to escape themselves from above liabilities, the management is going to franchise the Nigam, which will only result in increase of tariff and burden to Power consumers of all categories and un-employment in the state.

Joint Action Committee has suggested that Instead of moving towards privitisation of distribution companies by way of introduction of franchise system in Panipat and Gurgaon, the management should go ahead for restructuring the Discoms, filling of 52percent of vacant posts, strengthen the Sub-Division level and should help the employees in reducing the line losses, recovery of defaulting amount for better satisfaction of consumers.