CAG indicts Delhi govt on water, power and transport situation

New Delhi, Apr 1 (UNI) Criticising the Delhi government on the current water, power and transport situation in the city, the Comproller and Auditor General of India (CAG) has pointed to huge losses by power plants and companies as well as the state-owned Transport Corporation.

The CAG's latest audit report for year ended March 2007, tabled in the state Legislative Assembly yesterday, belied all claims by Chief Minister Shiela Dixit about adequate water supply and revealed that the city was facing acute water shortage of 270 million gallons per day.

The report said there was a fiscal deficit of Rs 410.41 crore compared to a fiscal surplus of Rs 245.14 crore in the previous year.

As per the commercial audit observations in the CAG report, the Delhi Power company had accumulated losses aggregating to Rs 1237.29 crore while the DTC accumulated losses aggregating to Rs 4008.46 crore.

The report said the Indraprastha power station was incurring losses continuously that had increased from Rs 5.02 crore in 2002-03 to Rs 61.51 crore in 2006-07.

The average plant load factor (PLF) of the IP station during the period 2002-07 was 39.16 per cent as against the 76.45 per cent and 76.83 per cent recorded by PARAS and SARNI power plants which were of the same age and type, the report said.

Further, the breakdown rate of the power plant was significantly higher than the CEA norms. The plant remained closed for 17739 hours resulting in generation loss of 1092 million units valuing Rs 201 crore.

Heat consumption per unit of electricity generated increased from 3443.36 to 3791 kcal/kwh between 2002-03 to 2006-07 as against 3235 K cal/kwh allowed by the DERC.

A performance audit of 'water management system in Delhi' said the Delhi Jal Board, responsible for supply and distribution of water in the city, had not been able to keep pace with the rapid urbanisation and was facing a shortage of 270 MGD of water against the projected requirement of 1050 MGD.

The water supply infrastructure had also failed to match the demand, the report added.

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