Discom asked to provide photos of farm meters

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) will now have to submit the photograph along with the reading of the meters installed on the agricultural feeder line.

Talking to mediapersons here, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) chairman, Pramod Deo said they were forced to ask MSEDCL to secure photographs of the readings as it was found that the agricultural consumption figures being submitted by the latter were not correct.

The figures form a part of the load-shedding determination exercise that the electricity board has to undertake in the face of growing demand and less availability of electricity.

MSEDCL had installed electric consumption meters but the readings were not taken regularly. This created a grave problem as figures of agricultural consumption were never correct. To tide over the problem, MERC had directed MSEDCL to go for separate agricultural feeder lines. "This has started recently and 400 agricultural feeders have already been separated. The feeder separation will be completed by December 2008," he said.

On the proposal for the second 'staggering day' for industry, Deo said the MERC had heard MSEDCL's petition on December 6, 2007. It had sought data from the discom, which was yet to be submitted.

It may be recalled that the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) had expressed readiness to act as a franchisee taking power from various sources and supplying the same to the industry. However, the move was opposed by a section of the industry and MERC had, therefore, asked MSEDCL to clarify on how it would provide power to all if the MIDC model were approved.

Deo said the load-shedding would have to be endured for at least the next five years as the state was reeling under an acute power shortage.

On the tariff front, he said it was set to increase due to higher input costs. Besides, MSEDCL lacks adequate infrastructure and funds to purchase costly power from other sources. This would also reflect in the increased power tariffs, he added.