x

Binayak Datta 28th Jul 2021

THE POWER ECONOMICS


I think it was a wonderful idea to have a ministers' face to face debate in person before citizens !! I think it's the first..in india..

This american style of mass communication in my view should be the one to replace those monstrous election rallies..guzzling tax payers money!!..just like net-flix replacing the multiplexes.

I think yesterday's the power ministers' debate was excellent..!!

A point or two for both gentlemen!

Goa's power woes lie with 6 major issues in my view :
1. Underground cabling..am tired listening for the last 15 years...wonder what happened to the 1567 crores requisitioned from the centre 4 years back..

2. Till such time we're thru with the underground cabling.. effective implementation of the 145 cr ABC (the aerial bunched cables system)..

3. Billing efficiency..we bill 88.74% of what we sell..himachal (my benchmark state for power) bills 88.61% (we're slightly better); delhi bills 91.4%!!

4. Our collection efficiency is 95%
..himachal is 100%..delhi collects 99.53%

5. Our aggregate ATC (aggregate technical and commercial) losses are 15.69% (last published data) - himachal is just 11.39%....delhi is 9.07!!

6. Our human resource efficiency: Our employee cost is Rs 0.80/- per kWh billed himachal pays 1.27/- delhi shells out just 0.23/- (inspite of the fact we have no generating facility)..
These numbers are all from the annual report of performances put out by the pfc..

So there we are..it's not topography..it's not also a fact that to improve power you need to increase tariffs - reduce losses and increase efficiency.. which is ailing our power sector..it's management and it's efficiency..Delhi's plans are CLEARLY doable!!

Cheers to organisers..for the excellent program..let goa show the way..for a monthly one-to-one debate for all sitting ministers one by one..!! and finally the chief ministers.