Mail News Service
Imphal, July 11: Analysing the functioning of Electricity department the CAG report said attainment of 100 percent metering was one of the objectives of r APDRP scheme and number of metered consumers decreased from 1,39,323 to 1,32,501 from 2007 to 2011 as against a total of 193661 consumers. While 34,208 consumers were with defective meters and 26,952 consumers were without meters.
Department (Imphal Electrical Division I) purchased 51585 static meters costing Rs 8.83 crore during February 2009. Of these, 44,742 meters (valued at Rs 7.65 crore) were lying un-utilized as of April 2011.
Non utilisation of 44,742 meters had resulted into blockage of funds. The Electricity Department purchased power from various central generating stations in the north-eastern region viz., NEEPCO, NHPC etc. as per sectorial allocation. While the State was suffering shortage of power, the Department used to sell power outside the State. The power deficit increased from 104.91 MU (2006-07) to 308.56 MU (2010-11). In its tariff order (March 2011), the JERC observed that the power supply in the State was in a precarious condition. Nowhere in the State, barring a few privileged consumers, was the supply continuous. Even at Imphal, the capital city, supply was not more than six hours a day. While there was poor and erratic supply in the State, the Department proposed sale of about 50 per cent of the projected requirement to other States through UI mechanism. The Commission directed the Department to resort to outside sale only when there was surplus in the State due to excess generation or system constraints.
Enquiring the reasons for the lower drawal, the Department stated (September 2011) that all the purchases of the State was routed through 132 kV substation of Yurembam which could draw 50 MW from each incomer feeder (i.e. 28 km long 132 kV line of Leimatak- Ningthoukhong-Yurembam and one km long 132 kV Imphal-Imphal line of PGCIL substation at Imphal). It also stated (July 2010) that if more than 100 MW was injected through the existing 132 KV line, the conductors could get burnt and the insulators might get punctured resulting in a system collapse.
On being pointed out that the Department should have upgraded the Imphal-Imphal 132 KV line (1 Km) or that it should have converted it into double circuit line to draw more power and reduce the shortage of power, the Department stated that stringing of the second circuit 132 KV Imphal-Imphal line would be taken up by PGCIL.
The losses at 33KV stage are termed as sub-transmission losses while those at 11 KV and below are termed as distribution losses. These are the difference between energy received (and paid for) by the Department and energy billed to consumers.
The Department was required to introduce consumer friendly actions like introduction of computerized billing, online bill payment, establishment of customer care centres etc. to enhance satisfaction of consumers and reduce the extent of grievances among them.
Prior to 2009 the Department was having six complaint cells in Greater Imphal to attend complaints of consumers.
Test check of records of four cells revealed the following:
In Lamphel and Lamlong although complaint registers were maintained dates of redressal of the complaints were not recorded.
In Keisampat, instead of using bound registers, loose sheets were used for noting complaints of the consumers.
In Wangkhei the cell was housed in a private scooter workshop. In spite of providing a telephone there, even a register was not maintained to record complaints of the consumers.
Because of deficiencies in the records, audit could not ascertain the number and nature of complaints received and number of cases attended to and the speed of redressal of the grievances.
One ombudsman was appointed in July 2009 and one Grievance Redressal Forum was constituted in September 2009. However locations of their offices were not specified. As a result audit could not examine records connected to their sphere of work.
Recognizing the fact that efficient use of energy and its conservation is the least-cost option to mitigate the gap between demand and supply, the GOI enacted the Energy Conservation Act, 2001. The conservation of energy being a multi-faceted activity, the Act provides both promotional and regulatory roles on the part of various organizations. The promotional role includes awareness campaigns, education and training, demonstration projects, R & D and feasibility studies. The regulatory role includes framing rules for mandatory audits for large energy consumers, devising norms of energy consumption for various sectors, implementation of standards and provision of fiscal and financial incentives.
Department had made no efforts for conducting energy audit of government buildings though a study conducted by Bureau of Energy Efficiency, GOT, indicated that such energy audit would result in approximately 21 per cent to 46per cent savings in energy.
The Commission in its tariff order 2010-11 observed that the Department was not doing energy audit effectively.
The JERC directed (March 2011) the Department for submission of action plan for preliminary energy audit and loss reduction measures by May 2011. But this was not submitted as of October 2011.
No targets were fixed for addition of sub stations to the existing infrastructure. Achievement of target of rural electrification decreases from 97 per cent in 2007-08 to 53 per cent in 2010-11. Interest on mobilisation advances paid to the contractors were not levied resulting to undue benefit. Though the State was facing acute shortage of power, it continued to sell the power outside state. HT-LT ratio in the State remained in the range of 1:0.73 to 1:0.79.
Read more / Original news source: http://manipur-mail.com/rs-7-65-cr-worth-meters-purchased-by-power-deptt-lying-unutilised-cag-report/
