Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Apr 27: Castigating the Power Development Department for non-adherence to its directives being issued every year in the Tariff Order, the State Electricity Regulatory Commission (SERC) has observed that the Department has been very slow in detecting theft of electricity and penalizing the defaulters despite the fact that pilferage is very high in the system.
In the Tariff Order for the 2012-13 financial year, the Commission had directed the Power Development Department to constitute a task force in each circle to carry out massive raids on a regular basis to check pilferage of electricity in their areas of operation besides booking those consumers committing theft/pilferage and taking penal action against them.
Though in its response to the SERC the Department has submitted that multi-tier inspection squads have been constituted to check the misuse of power and an amount of Rs 822 lakh has been realized as fine, the SERC has observed in the Tariff Order for 2013-14 financial year that the progress of the PDD regarding theft detection and penalizing the defaulters has been very slow.
Stating that the PDD has not made available the progress report in the public domain, the SERC has reiterated its earlier directive that the Department should constitute a task force in each circle to carry out massive raids on regular basis to check pilferage of electricity. The Commission has also directed the PDD to submit the quarterly reports within first week of the month succeeding the quarter on “theft detection and penalty imposed/realized” and these reports be made available in the public domain so that the efforts of the department in curbing theft can be recognized by the masses. Moreover, these reports should also include additional information such as FIR lodged.
“The officers in charge of the concerned circles should have to be made answerable in case of detection of theft/pilferage of electricity in their areas of operation”, the Commission has stressed in the order.
Pointing towards the directive regarding third party meter testing arrangements at divisional and sub-divisional levels, the Commission observed, “in the response the PDD has only submitted that two NABL accredited laboratories that have shown interest have been asked to mobilize their resources”.
Terming the measures as insufficient, the Commission has directed the department to expedite the process of establishing meter testing laboratories and submit quarterly compliance report in this regard within first week of the month succeeding the quarter.
Similarly, the SERC had directed the PDD to undertake testing of all those consumers in non-domestic and LT Industries categories whose monthly load factor is less than 1% and the compliance report along with results of such testing be submitted to the Commission along with the Tariff Petition for the Financial Year 2013-14.
However, in the Tariff Order for the current financial year the SERC has observed, “the PDD has neither submitted any report nor it has established the load factor data base”, adding “the Department is again directed to submit quarterly compliance report containing the details of the inspection and testing of consumers in non-domestic and LT industries categories with monthly load factor less than 1%. The Department is further directed to undertake the exercise of establishing the Load Factor Data base of the State and submit the report by 30th September 2013”.
What to talk of directives issued during the Tariff Order of last financial year, the Power Development Department has not strictly adhered to the orders issued by the SERC since 2007-08 and while taking serious note of this the Commission has warned that it will be forced to take punitive measures against the Department under Sections 102 and 106 of J&K Electricity Act, 2010 for its inaction.
The Commission has now directed the PDD to carry out system studies for determination of transmission loss in the system and also conduct feeder-wise energy audit and consumer indexing for estimating the base T&D loss level. Subsequently, the PDD has been asked to identify feeders with high loss levels and develop a holistic loss reduction plan for reducing distribution losses on such feeders.
The SERC has further directed the Department to submit a report in this regard within 6 months of issue of the order on ‘Business Plan for three year MYT period from FY 2013-14 to FY 2015-16’ dated March 22, 2013.
Moreover, the Commission has directed the PDD to submit the detailed investment plan along with the cost benefit analysis for the proposed new distribution works to be submitted along with the Annual Performance Review (APR) & Tariff Petition for Financial Year 2014-15.
As for as audit for metering is concerned, the PDD has been directed to conduct an independent audit of actual consumers metered and consumers pending for metering and submit quarterly reports within the first week of the succeeding month of the quarter for monitoring purposes.
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