HP seeks amendment in Electricity Act 2003

Shimla, July 29 (UNI) The Himachal Pradesh (HP) Government today demanded an amendment in the Electricity Act 2003 regarding unbundling of the state electricity board (SEB), seeking extension for implementing provisions of the Act beyond the December 2007 dead line.

Addressing the general body meeting of the HP Power Engineer Association here, HP Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh said the spirit behind its enactment was to make the state electricity boards profitable and generate enough income for their sustenance.

''With many state boards doing well on the revenue side, there appeared no reasons for their unbundling,'' he said.

Mr Singh said the HP State Electricity Board (HPSEB) has also turned revenue surplus despite the fact it was charging the lowest domestic tariffs in the country.

Since the state had the lowest transmission and distribution losses in the country, there was no reason for unbundling the state board, he said.

The chief minister said the state government had taken up the matter with the Centre and would again urge it about amending the Electricity Act 2003 to suitably protect interests of those boards that were financially well placed.

A high level meeting had resolved issues concerning evacuation of power from projects on different river basins and the Central Electricity Authority would formulate a master plan that would provide a specific transmission corridor in the state, he said.

Talking about the state's achievements in the power sector, he said transmission losses had been brought down from 26.61 per cent in 2003 to 18 per cent.

The board had established 20 new 33 KV sub-stations, 4,531 distribution sub-stations, laid of 4,038 km of high tension lines and 3,552 km of low tension lines during last four years, he said.

Mr Singh said the network had released 214,147 new connections and added 495 MVA capacities in different industrial areas, boosting the states economy.

To improve quality of available power, the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme was under implementation to improve power transmission and distribution system, he said.

He said the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna had already been started in Chamba district and was likely to be extended to Solan, Una, and Sirmour districts of the state soon.

UNI