Unmetered consumers to get succour
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 23: The State Government has decided to move an application before the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) with the plea to extend the deadline for metering of about 4.5 lakh electricity connections across the State so that such a large number of consumers don’t get deprived of power supply beyond April 28, 2012, which as per the J&K Electricity Act, 2010 is the last date for ensuring power supply through installation of correct energy meters.
Official sources said that following news-report in this paper that 4.5 lakh non-metered consumers would not be entitled for power supply beyond April 28, 2012 as per the provisions of J&K Electricity Act, 2010, the senior officers of the Power Development Department started deeply examining the relevant provisions of the Act.
“Even some officers of the Power Development Department unofficially contacted the State Electricity Regulatory Commission Members to discuss the legal position and finally it emerged that Department can also adopt the recourse of moving an application before the SERC seeking extension in the deadline for metering of non-metered connections”, they said.
However, for this the Department has to chalk out comprehensive metering plan for all the un-metered connections across the State and further time-table required to accomplish the task, which are vital steps before pleading the case before the Commission, sources said, adding while seeking extension in the deadline, the Power Development Department would have to justify before the Commission the delay behind meeting the earlier deadlines and elaborate how it would accomplish this vital task within the newly proposed time-frame.
In response to a question, they said, “the Commission can consider the application of the PDD and extend the deadline by way of notification”, adding “since the Commission has itself passed strictures against the PDD, the latter would have to bring clarity in its plans to complete metering exercise, which is essential for preparation of appropriate loss reduction strategies and schemes”.
When contacted, Principal Secretary, Power Development Department, Sudhanshu Pandey said, “I have directed the Development Commissioner Power (DCP) to analyze the situation and formally come up with the exact time-frame required to meter all the left-over non-metered connections”, adding “we have worked out comprehensive metering plan, which is imperative to approach the SERC with plea to extend deadline beyond April 28, 2012”.
In response to a question, he said, “DCP will come up with the time frame within a day or two following which further steps would be initiated in order to ensure that non-metered consumers continue to get electricity even beyond April 28, 2012”.
Among the 4.5 lakh non-metered electricity connections, 3,99,697 are domestic, 43,339 non-domestic/ commercial, 3,022 agriculture, 249 public street lighting and 598 LT public water works. These un-metered connections are consuming connected load of 344.86 Mega Watts (MW).
It is pertinent to mention here that SERC has been laying stress on the 100 per cent consumer metering since 2007-08 financial year when it issued first Tariff Order as the metering is a major step towards energy accounting and reduction of power losses.
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