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POWER

Haryana power discom in targets in the past five
years, ending March
2018 as prescribed by
4,000cr avoidable loss the HERC. As a result,
recoverable amount
had increased from
4,460 crore in March
2014 to 7,332.70 crore
in March 2018. On
the Uttar Haryana
Bijli Vitran Nigam
(UHBVN), the CAG
pointed out that extra
expenditure of 5.34
crore was incurred
“on purchase of trans-
former oil by resort-
ing to limited tender
enquiry instead of
open tenders”.
The recovery of
outstanding amount
has become so dif-
ficult for Haryana that
it decided sometime
back to provide
relief to tube well
of over 5,000 crore if Enquiries consumers having electric-
tehelka bureau the losses of the Dakshin reveal that ity connections. About 6.10
Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam lakh farmers in the state
and the Uttar Haryana the consumers have taken electricity con-
Bijli Vitran Nigam, the other nection for the tube wells.
he latest report of power discom are com- had not paid Out of this, about 2.44 lakh
Comptroller and bined. In addition about electricity bills connections have become
Auditor Gen- 16 lakh consumers have defaulters and an amount of
eral (CAG) has defaulted on their power amounting to 147 crores was outstanding
T detected a loss to bill payments. Other than about 7,975.81 towards them.
the Haryana state excheq- ‘avoidable burden of inter- Enquiries reveal that
uer by the Dakshin Haryana est, avoidable payments and crore to the the consumers including
Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). wasteful expenditure’, the Haryana power farmers, residential and do-
The CAG report released CAG report found the losses mestic consumers and even
on December 10, 2019 in to the discom’s inability to discoms government-owned bodies
Haryana Assembly during achieve collection efficiency had not paid electricity bills
its winter session says that targets in the past five years. from its consumers and, amounting to about 7,975.81
the irregularities detected The report pointed out as a result, had to bear an crore to the Haryana Power
in the DHBVN alone show that the DHBVN had to bear avoidable interest burden of Discoms. The outstanding
a loss of more than 4,000 a loss of 2,703 crore as tech- 122.05 crore on increased dues to Uttar Haryana Bijli
crore to the state excheq- nical and commercial losses borrowings. Vitran Nigam and Dakshin
uer in the year ending were more than what was The discom supplied ex- Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam
March 2018. The losses are prescribed by the Haryana cess power of 1,615 metered include 581.45 crore by
on account of “avoidable Electricity Regulatory Com- units to unmetered agricul- industrial consumers and
burden of interest, avoid- mission (HERC). Also the ture pump-set consumers, 598.63 crore by commer-
able payments and wasteful DHBVN recovered 935.91 resulting in a loss of 18.90 cial users.
expenditure”. crore less as additional ad- crore. The DHBVN failed to
There is a total loss is vance consumption deposit achieve collection efficiency LETTERS@TEHELKA.COM

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