CHANDIGARH | Monday, February 2, 2009

PSEB can be revived after reforms: Expert

PNS | Chandigarh

It is possible to revive fund-starved Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) through technical and managerial reforms,” said Virender Singh, an expert on power matters who retired from PSEB as engineer-in-chief. Talking exclusively with The Pioneer on eve of foundation day of PSEB, Singh also found unbundling of board undesirable.

He stated that there is no need to unbundle PSEB and the results can be better achieved through internal unbundling. The chairman of PSEB should be placed in the cabinet rank and the members heading generation, transmission and distribution be made autonomous in their functioning and this autonomy should flow down to the level of sub divisional officers and junior engineers by delegating more powers and responsibility simultaneously.

He further said that the unbundling process was introduced in India on the pattern of the western countries and has largely failed except in Andhra Pradesh where size of one Distribution Company as big as that of PSEB. The mid way path of public sector and partial privatisation is best suited for a large country like India, he added.

The power cuts imposed in the Punjab could be brought down to 50 per cent in the present scenario if the CFLs and Electronic Chokes with Fluorescent tubes be got installed at the premises of all 60 Lakh plus consumers and use of incandescent lamps may be banned. This step shall save 1500 MU worth Rs 600 crore annually and reduce the peak demand by 800 MW.

The partial HVDS and Low Maintenance project executed on four feeders of Patiala Circle may be extended to all feeders of Punjab. In addition, all the distribution transformers may be maintained, joints tightened and the earthing pits of the transformers be treated with thermal plant fly ash (25% ash 75% soil) this step will save 1000 million units and reduced the peak demand further by 700 MW.

Thus, both of these steps shall save 2500 million units worth Rs 1000 crore annually. The cuts imposed in Punjab are equally to about 4500 million units and which can be brought down to less than 50 per cent with the implementation of these two technical reforms in a period of six months.

Talking about long term technical reforms, Virender Singh said that 9 Lakh tube well pumps and motors need to be replaced with efficient pumps and motors at an investment of Rs 1500 crore spread over a period of 3-5 years. This will save 1300 million units worth Rs 520 crore annually thereby recovering the cost of project within 3 years.

The HVDS project being under execution in Punjab by installing 1 transformer on each tube well shall cost Rs 4700 crore and save 2500 million units worth Rs 1000 crore annually. This project shall be complete by 2011-12 and its cost will be recovered within a period of 5 years.

The short and long term technical reforms shall save 6300 million units worth Rs 2520 crore annually wiping out the Rs 2000 crore annual loss of PSEB and turn it into a profit making organisation.