EPDCL's profits rise by Rs 145 cr

The Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Corporation Limited (EPDCL) has reported a Rs 145 crore increase in revenues for the fiscal ending March 31, 2004. Revenues at the power distribution company which supplies power to five coastal districts which include, Srikakulam and West Godavari, touched Rs 1,591 crore for the year.

EPDCL has also increased its power withdrawal from APTransco by about 10 per cent in the last fiscal.

Speaking to Business Standard, A Kodanda Ramaiah, director (operations) of EPDCL, said: "During 2003-04, EPDCL received 6,466 million units from APTransco as compared with 5,884 million units in the previous fiscal, registering a growth of about 10 per cent. The hike in power supply to different consumers has boosted revenue earnings from Rs 1,446 crore in 2002-03 to Rs 1,591 crore in 2003-04. About 40 per cent of our total revenues comes from industrial consumers."

"In March, the energy handled was 649.68 million units as compared with 551.94 million units in the previous corresponding period. This was an increase of 97.74 million units which cost about Rs 23.55 crore," he said.

"Due to the creation of additional infrastructure facilities the distribution losses have reduced marginally," he said. "In 2003-04, the distribution losses in EPDCL's jurisdiction stood at 15.07 per cent, as compared to 17 per cent in the previous year. In the current year, it is likely to further come down by at least one per cent," he said.

During fiscal 2003, EPDCL added 20 new sub-stations at a cost of Rs 24 crore, he said, adding that 1,721 three-phase distribution transformers and 3,286 single-phase distribution transformers were erected with an investment of about Rs 39 crore. The corporation electrified 2,894 colonies, which is more than the target of 2,402, with an expenditure of about Rs 48 crore.