It is the issues over corruption in the power utilities and compensation given for fatal accidents due to electrocution and erection of transmission lines through farmers’ lands rather than energy charges which were highlighted by a majority of petitioners at the public hearing on retail power supply tariff for 2018-19 held here on Monday.
Several Central and State Government agencies/institutions, industry bodies and private establishments argued for reduction of the supply tariff, cross subsidy surcharge and additional surcharge before Telangana State Electricity Regulatory Commission (TSERC) Chairman Ismail Ali Khan and Member H. Srinivasulu, stating that cost of service was coming down due to increasing competition in the energy sector.
However, farmers, farmers’ bodies and other individuals who outnumbered petitioners at the hearing focused mostly on corruption in the power utilities and problems in getting ex-gratia payment against fatal accidents of electrocution and poor compensation given to farmers or erecting transmission towers through their farm fields since the two distribution companies have retained the current year tariff for 2018-19 too.
Chairman and Managing Director of Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana Ltd (TSSPDCL) G. Raghuma Reddy defended the tariff and surcharges, explaining that they were most competitive in comparison with the cost of service that includes cost of generation or purchase and costs of transmission and distribution, and appealed to the regulatory body to accept their proposals as it is.
Policy decision
He maintained that they had retained the tariff in tune with the government policy/decision although all costs had increased.
Uninterrupted power supply to the farm sector introduced from January 1 this year received a mixed response with some welcoming it and others suggesting that the farmers needed only day-time supply and not 24x7 power.
Mr. Raghuma Reddy stated that they were giving 24x7 power to agriculture, following demand from the farming community. He also justified purchase of power through open bidding in spite of increase in the installed capacity of power generation in the State so as to meet peak loads and added that it was possible only by having surplus availability of power.
Admitting that surplus availability would lead to backing down of generation at the public sector power stations, Mr. Raghuma Reddy, however, said it was being done taking into account high variable costs of the old units in the order of priority.
To prevent wastage of power consumed for street lights in villages, the distribution company was spending ₹96 crore for arranging separate conductor along with common switch board for the purpose. “We have spent ₹26 crore on it already and have plans to complete the work by July-end”, Mr. Raghuma Reddy stated.
He also told all the 20 Superintending Engineers of Operation Circles in the TSSPDCL to act tough against corruption at field and other levels.