Economic Survey gives pat on the back to Delhi Distcoms

New Delhi, Feb 27 (UNI) The Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses for all the three private power distribution companies in the national capital have been better than their respective targets, according to the Economic Survey 2006-07.

While each Distcom had to reduce the AT&C loss levels by at least 17 per cent over a five year period (2002-07), the actual AT&C levels of BSES Yamuna Power Ltd, BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd and North Delhi Power Ltd, which started with opening AT&C levels of 57.2 per cent, 48.1 per cent and 48.1 per cent respectively, had been better than their respective targets, the survey tabled in the Parliament said.

BSES Yamuna achieved 61.89 per cent, 54.29 per cent, 50.12 per cent and 43.89 per cent in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 against targets of 56.45 per cent, 54.7 per cent, 50.7 per cent and 45.05 per cent.

BSES Rajdhani achieved 47.40 per cent, 45.06 per cent, 40.64 per cent and 35.53 per cent in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 against targets of 47.55 per cent, 45 per cent, 42.7 per cent and 36.70 per cent.

NDPL achieved 47.79 per cent, 44.86 per cent, 33.79 per cent and 26.52 per cent in 2002-03, 2003-04, 2004-05 and 2005-06 against targets of 47.60 per cent, 43.35 per cent, 40.85 per cent and 35.52 per cent.

On December 18 last, Delhi cabinet had approved an amendment to the Electricity Act 2003 making power theft a cognisable offence.

In order to create faith and confidence in the data in Delhi, the new concept of AT&C losses was introduced in place of Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses. T&D losses were the difference between energy supplied and energy billed; but since this figure may not always be accurate, the criterion adopted in Delhi was the difference between the number of units of energy supplied and the number of units of energy for which payment was actually recovered.

This new criterion was called AT&C losses and it had since been adopted (under the term 'effective loss') by the Uttar Pradesh Electricity Regulatory Commission in its last tariff order for Kanpur, and was now being advocated for all states by the union power ministry.

The power sector in the city was unbundled in July 2002 with the erstwhile Delhi Vidyut Board being dismantled into one holding company (Delhi Power Company Ltd), one generation company (Indraprastha Power Generation Company Ltd also known as Genco), one transmission company (Delhi Power Supply Company Ltd also known as Transco) and three distribution companies (Distcoms).

Genco had been power generation assets of Indraprastha Thermal Power Station, Rajghat Thermal Power Station and Gas Turbine Power Station.

Each distribution company had 51 per cent equity participation from the private sector, with the remaining equity coming from Delhi government.

The privatisation was undertaken on the basis of bids in terms of reduction in aggregate AT&C losses.

UNI