Haryana's feeder franchise scheme to cut power losses

Haryana Power will hand over power distribution feeders to franchises to cut down distribution losses.

The firm's distribution losses are now in the range of 30 to 35 percent.

Utilities Chairman and Managing Director Devender Singh said the scheme would be launched as a pilot project by January with the feeders being given to the franchises through open bidding system.

Singh claimed that in Delhi Tata Power had brought down the distribution losses to about 15 percent in some of the slum areas where feeders with up to 70 per cent losses were handed to the franchises.

Singh said a survey of "connected load" would also be undertaken in the state soon as during surprise checks the connected load of consumers was found to be much less as compared with the appliances being used.

He said the increase in connected load would result in increased minimum charges for consumers, which would also help the power distribution companies in cutting their losses.

Various illegalities, including power theft, had to be checked for increasing the revenue in case uninterrupted power supply was to be ensured, he added.

Singh said abnormally high distribution losses were detected in an industrial unit in Panipat due to power pilferage.

The officials have been asked to cut power to defaulters and also ensure that they do not draw power by taking connection in some other name or through some other illegal route, he said.

Distribution losses ranged between 50 to 70 per cent in five districts of Bhiwani, Hissar, Jind, Kaithal and Rohtak and the staff there had been directed to undertake special drives to reduce the losses.

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