GEB should compensate users for power cuts, says consumer forum

The city-based consumer rights organisation, Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), has appealed to the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) to appoint a committee to look into the functioning of the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB).

The state electricity board's "inefficient and uneconomical operations" have led to the recent power cuts in the state, the organisation said.

Making a submission to the GERC on its petition on power crisis in Gujarat, CERS said the gap between power demand and supply was almost 2000 MW in Gujarat.

Against a demand for 9373 MW, the GEB procured and supplied only 7309 MW, the CERS said.

The GEB extended the 15-day power cut imposed on industrial consumers on November 17 by another 15 days to December 17.

This has forced the closure of non-continuous process industrial units for one more day in a week, the society said.

"Continuous process industries suffered a power cut of 20 per cent on the sanctioned load. The high tension consumers with 861 continuous process industries and 21,328 non-continuous process industries, totalling 22,189, were affected by the imposition of this additional power cut. Besides, the agricultural sector was getting only six to eight hours of power supply in 24 hours. There were also reports of phased power cut on residential and commercial consumers," CERS said.

The GEB had not been operating its oil-based Dhuvaran thermal power station to its full capacity for the last two years which could be ascertained from the plant load factors of the last four years, the organisation said.

The Dhuvaran plant produced power to 50.28 per cent of its capacity in 1999-2000, 50.25 in 2000-2001, 38.38 in 2001-2002 and 29.63 in 2002-2003.

CERS asked the GERC to ensure that the Dhuvaran plant produce electricity at least 70 per cent of its capacity.

CERS, in its earlier submissions, had highlighted the system of "seasonal forecast" where all the power generating and distributing utilities were supposed to give a presentation on the demand of power for the next season or four months and how they were going to meet this demand with the sources available with them.

By this, the utilities would automatically become accountable to consumers and able to maintain the quality and continuity of power supply.

The presentation by the generating and distribution companies should be made in the presence of various stake holders, consumer groups and other industrial associations where consumers can interact with the officials of the utilities.

The Electricity Act 2003 has provisions where utilities have to maintain certain standards of performance and also to give compensation to consumers affected due to poor performance of the utilities.

CERS has appealed to the GERC to invite complaints from consumers who have incurred losses due to the present power shortage in the state.