Agra discom hires RITES for testing equipment

With the Rs 85-crore power reform project for Agra to begin shortly under the Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP), Agra-based UP power discom Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd (DVVNL) has decided to sub-let the tender for the testing of electrical appliances being installed under the programme to Rail India Technical and Economic Services (RITES), the consulting arm of the Indian Railways.

Talking to Business Standard, Kripal Singh, managing director, DVVNL, said lately, the power corporation had faced charges of installing sub-standard equipment under the various electrification projects being conducted by it.

He said since the electrification work to be done under the Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (APDRP) and the Accelerated Rural Electrification Programme (AREP) was worth almost Rs 200 crore in Agra alone, the company thought it prudent to invoke the help of an "impartial" and "technically sound" company to conduct testing on the power equipment.

Accordingly, he said the company has asked RITES to conduct the testing on the equipment that have arrived for installation, including the aerial bunch conductors, on which testing was being performed currently in Noida.

Later on, RITES would conduct surveys of the completed electrification work and submit its final reports to DVVNL. He said RITES had agreed to perform the testing on the basis of percentage on the total price of the equipment though he did not divulge the details of the deal.