The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam has extended the voluntary disclosure scheme for declaration of unauthorised extension of load up to August 31 because of the drought.
Under the scheme, launched on June 16, over 5,100 consumers had declared 23,000 kw unauthorisedly extended load up to July 15, said a Nigam spokesman. Of these, 4,500 farmers had declared a 11,500 kw load, he added.
Though the scheme was meant for consumers of all categories, it proved most beneficial to farmers. He said because of the deficient rainfall during the past few years, the water table had declined, compelling farmers to use high-capacity pumps.
He said a large number of farmers had extended their load without informing the Nigam. Such unauthorised extensions were liable for penalty at the rate of Rs 4,000 per BHP for flat-rate tubewells and Rs 3,000 per BHP for metered tubewells.
He said for extension of load in the normal course, Rs 1,000 per BHP was charged, while under the voluntary disclosure scheme there was no penalty for regularising the unauthorised extension. The farmers had to deposit only the advance consumption deposit at the rate of Rs 30 per kw of declared load.
He said industrial consumers would have to deposit a revised test report for declaring unauthorised extension of load. In case the extended load caused a change in category of the consumer from low tension to high tension, he would be required to declare his contract demand and to complete other formalities for the change in category, the spokesman added.
If the extension in load necessitated installation of metering equipment of higher rating, the consumer would provide the power meter if it was not available with the Nigam, he added.
