CESU to execute Rs 500 cr under APDRP in Orissa

Bhubaneswar, May 30: The Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU), a major distribution company looking after the central sector in Orissa, has decided to execute Rs 500 crore investment under the APDRP during the 11th Five Year Plan.

Briefing newsmen here, CESU Chief Executive Debraj Biswal said the company had already prepared a scheme for investment under the APDRP for augmentation and improvement of lines and sub stations in the coastal districts.

Mr Biswal said the Power Ministry had already approved four schemes of the CESU on improvement of lines in Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Dhenkanal and Paradip circle with an investment of Rs 296 crore under the APDRP scheme.

He said as per the scheme, the Centre would provide 50 per cent of the amount and the rest would be arranged by the company as counterpart funding.

The CESU, Mr Biswal said, had already spent Rs 42 crore under the scheme and floated tenders for augmentation and improvement of line and sub stations in cities like Cuttack, Bhubaneswar, Dhenkanal, Paradip and Puri with an estimated cost of Rs 100 crore.

This would substantially improve the quality of power supply and reduce the technical loss which stood at nearly 21 per cent, Mr Biswal said.

Stating that the CESU alone had been incurring an annual loss of Rs 200 crore in power theft in the state, the company had proposed to the state government to set up five more police stations, besides the two already established to deal with the issue.

The CESU Chief Executive said in accordance with the provision, the company had decided to install Pillar Box for all the commercial consumers to improve meter reading.

Initially, it would be installed in urban and bazar areas, he said.

On future plan of the company, Mr Biswal said that panchayat level committee with Sarpanch, senior citizen and the Junior Engineer would be formed shortly to look into the grievances of the consumers.

He further said a franchise scheme would be introduced shortly for different urban and rural areas through which public could participate in the billing and collection process of CESU to reduce the loss.

UNI