Aruchal earning Rs 544.21 cr from power

from our correspondent

Itagar, Mar 31: The power sector in Aruchal Pradesh has earned revenue of 544.21 crore in the last six years, Power (Electrical) Minister Tanga Byaling said here today.

During 2009-10 the department earn Rs 75.81 crore, Rs 90.82 crore (2010-11), Rs 80.53 crore during 2011-12, Rs 84.80 crore in 2012-13, Rs 93.08 crore in 2013-14 and Rs 119.17 crore in 2014-15 (till January 2015).

“The department could increase revenue collection of over five crore during 2014-15 after launching of pre paid energy meters (PPEMs), a pilot project in the state capital,” Byaling said during a press conference.

The minister flanked by Power Chief Engineer (WZ) J Tato, further disclosed that the department was anticipating a revenue collection of over 130 crore during 2014-15 after receipts of reports from various electrical divisions in the state.

He said, the state government had launched the PPEM as a pilot project with an estimated cost of 84 crore in the state capital with target of 32,000 consumers including 13,000 in Itagar and the rest in harlagun, Nirjuli and Banderdewa.

“So far the department had installed 2,200 PPEM in Itagar,” he added.

 To a question regarding power tariff in the state, the minister disclosed that the government had not hiked power tariff in the last three years.

“The department is charging on an average Rs 4 per unit of power consumed by commercial and domestic consumers in the state,” he said.

On the power requirements of the state, Byaling informed that the total unrestricted power requirement of the state annually comes around 200 mega watt while the requirements during peak hours is 150 mw.

“The state at present is generating only 9 mw power from various projects with installed capacity ranging between 30 kilo watts to 3 MW, out of total installed capacity of 65 mw. We are also getting 133 mw power from central allocation including 12 per cent free power from Rangadi hydro electric project,” he said.

“During 2014-15, the department spent 188 crore in purchasing 645 million units power from NEEPCO, NTPC, NHPC and OTPC,” he disclosed adding, out of the total 133 mw central sector allocation, the state received only 45.8 mw during lean period while the department has been overdrawing 19.8 mw incurring high rate at Rs 7 to 8 per unit.

Responding to a question regarding stiff opposition from the people in PPEM, Byaling termed the opposition by a few students’ organizations as ‘politically instigated’.

“People are not opposing to PPEM and have already understood the advantage of such energy meters. The state government is working on a policy to provide a single LED bulb free to each consumer under below poverty line and students,” he said.

“People who are opposing PPEM could go for post paid meters. We have made both options open to them. Power reform programme in the state is mandatory as per Centre’s directive…we must earn revenue and simultaneously need to streamline the system,” he added.

He said, out of 1,90,000 installed meters in the state, 1, 10,000 were lying defunct since last three years and bills were raised on an average basis.

“In order to check revenue pilferage, the department is contemplating to use Automatic Metering Instrument (AMI) while conducting meter reading (post paid),” he disclosed.

When his attention was drawn on the huge outstanding amount of Rs 71 crore by the state government to the power department, Byaling emphatically said that all the pending bills of the government would be cleared by April end.