Facing mounting losses and arrears, UP Power Corporation limited (UPPCl) has decided to set up special cell in each district of the state to bring down line losses and ensure 100 per cent ledgerisation of power connections. The Cells would monitor all power connections of 10 KW and above in districts.
Official sources said that the Cells, besides, keeping a tab on meter tampering, will also analyse data available online to check power theft and manipulations in billing.
In an effort to catch up with UDAY (Ujjwal Discom Assurance Yojna) targets, the cash-strapped UPPCl has taken several steps to slash power thefts as well as transmission and distribution losses.
The UP cabinet has already given its nod for setting up of dedicated ‘anti-power-theft police stations’ in all 75 districts to check the menace. On its parrt, the UPPCl is conducting raids against illegal connections and snapping power supply of consumers whose outstanding bills are more than Rs 1 lakh.
However, while getting private consumers to pay power dues is proving to be a difficult task, what is even tougher is getting government departments to pay up. These departments are the biggest defaulters and owe Rs 10,400 crore to UPPCl.
“The track record of government departments in paying power bills is worse than that of private consumers. Despite constant reminders to various departments to clear outstanding dues by the end of 2017-18 fiscal, the UPPCl was able to recover only Rs 3,000 crore as against Rs 1,500 crore recovered in 2016-17 fiscal. Even now, departments together owe the Corporation Rs 10,400 crore,” said a senior official of UPPCl.
The officer said that departments of Urban Development and UP Handloom were the biggest defaulters with dues of Rs 3,000 crore each. They are trailed by Irrigation department, which owes Rs 2,600 crore and government offices and colonies at Rs 1,400 crore. Besides, UP Jal Sansthan owes Rs 400 crores.
“Though we have been able to bring the cash gap under control, we are nowhere near our target. last year, the cash gap was Rs 14,000 crore, which was brought down to Rs 8,000 crore this year. But our target for the 2017-18 fiscal was to bring it down to Rs 5,000 crores,” he said.
Similarly, AT&C losses too have been reduced, but the target has not yet been achieved. Against targeted line losses of 20%, the state’s AT&C losses are at 31%, against the target of 28%.
As per tariff order for 2018-19 issued by power regulator in November last year, the UPPCl is required to bring down line losses to 15 per cent by March 31 next year.
UPPCl’s cash gap is increasing mainly due to government departments not making regular bill payments. Besides, the other impediment in fulfilling UDAY targets are Saubhagya and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojna,” the official said.
He added that the state government is bound by the contract under UDAY to ensure 100% due clearance by its departments.