Long-term planning to take six months to a year
Billing to be done by department from July 1
Current meter readers requirement is 550; dept presently has 250
Complaint phone No. 1912. All the other complaint numbers to be phased out
State’s requirement 480 MW; Power shortfall by 150 MW
TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: In a telling assessment, Chief Minister Manohar Parrikar declared Wednesday, that the State’s power sector is in shambles with outdated, old and under par equipment being the norm, and lack of qualified staff shortage of manpower hampering its functioning. Parrikar said this while assessing the State’s power situation, vis-a-vis hardships faced by people.
Over the past decade, the lack of any sort of effort to maintain, replace and plan for future power needs — including asking for an increase in load as State’s power demand increased — has led to a deterioration of all services.
“In the last 10 years particularly, there were no lines changed. Nothing happened at all,” Parrikar said adding, “In the past 20 to 25 years, lines have not been replaced. They get corroded and snap if the current increases even marginally.”
The chief minister also pointed out that in 2003-04, the power requirements was 360 MW while today the power requirement — if you detract the power supplied by Reliance — is 480 MW.
“The demand has doubled in the past 10 years and no additions were made except marginally (some 60-70 MW). We are falling short by around 150 MW,” he said, adding that by “August we will get power from Chhattisgarh.” He said that a few ‘small matters’ had to be sorted out, but he would sort these out himself.
Recalling that in April-May this year the power situation in the whole country has been bad, the chief minister said that in May they were buying 125 MW of power from the market at Rs 3.45 and if all expenses were included (including losses) it was adding to around Rs 4 per unit.
“Purchase price today is Rs 3.80 and in 2003, it was Rs 1.90. But the consumers were getting it at 1.05 in 2003 and now they are getting it at Rs 1.90,” he said adding, “The State is making a loss of Rs 2.43 per unit. The cost of power has more than doubled, but the billing across all sectors had increased by more than 29-30%. And one will have to add the cost of better equipment.”
“If you add the cost of capital it will come to Rs 4.50,” he said, alleging that this had not been done in the past 10 years.
“We are taking up projects this year of around Rs 300 to Rs 350 crore for underground lines, additional transformers among other things. We are proposing a committee of experts to recommend a plan of action.
“As of now it will improve marginally. We are holding meetings and direction will be given. But long term planning will take six months to a year,” he said.
Parrikar also said billing would be sorted out within six months and from July 1, billing would be done by the department. Billing of 13 departments was outsourced, but this failed and now the government is going to do this themselves.
On the manpower front he said that normally till the executive engineer level, diploma holders were eligible while for higher levels like SEs there was need of degree holders.
“But this was changed in the RR and today degree holders are stuck and so cannot rise,” he said adding, “I am in talks with (Union Power Minister) Piyush Goyal and within three to four months we will get some SE, etc on deputation.”
Parrikar said that efforts are on to also do some direct recruitment for the posts.
Explaining the power problems faced by the State, the chief minister said that this was due to the heavy and untimely rains, leading to a lot trees falling and damaging lines and poles. Also, this time there was a lot of lightening which added to the problems, he said.
