The State has achieved a 5-per cent reduction in Aggregate Technical & Commercial (AT&C) loss in the lT sector during 2016-17.
This was stated in an official Press release after a power distribution review made by Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi here on Monday.
Reviewing the progress, Padhi directed the Discoms to achieve a 7-per cent reduction in the AT&C loss during the current year.
Padhi also directed officials to expedite the works of rural electrification during the ensuing working season and achieve power connectivity to all villages by end of 2017.
Available data showed that during 2015-16, the total AT&C loss in the lT system was around 51.57 per cent, which was reduced to 46.45 per cent in 2016-17.
During the first four months of the current fiscal, it has further been reduced by about 1.5 per cent.
The reduction loss has been highest (21.27%) in the Ghatgaon sub-division under the Nesco followed by the Gopalpur sub-division (20%) under the Southco and the Kaurnumda subdivision (18.30%) under the Wesco.
Energy Secretary Hemant Kumar Sharma apprised that a DPR was prepared to electrify 3,474 un-electrified villages in 2014-15. So far, 3,150 villages have been connected with power supply.
The Chief Secretary directed the department to electrify all the rest 324 villages by the end of December 2017.
Shrama further appraised about the measures taken for strengthening of the power supply system and performance in billing and collections.
Billing agencies are being engaged through a tender process. Performance-based incentive system has also been introduced in various divisions, as a result of which the billing and collection track has shown an upward trend.
An online mobile phone photo-based billing system has been introduced under Nesco, Wesco and Southco while a handset-based spot billing system was made functional in the Cesu area before that.
Post Offices have been roped in for receiving payments against power bills.
The review showed that as per the 2011 Census, total households in the State were 96 lakh. Out of this, so far, more than 68 lakh houses have been electrified.
More than 3.18 lakh houses were provided new connection during 2016-17. In the current year, 1,21,310 new households were provided new connection by the end of July 2017. A target was set to provide power connection to the balance 28 lakh houses by the end of March 2018.