Demand for audit of Torrent Power's Agra distribution franchisee

UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad claimed CAG would unearth irregularities in functioning of the company

Seeking relief from costly power distribution, a state power consumers’ forum has demanded audit of Torrent Power electricity distribution franchisee in Agra by Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG).

UP Rajya Vidyut Upbhokta Parishad claimed CAG would unearth irregularities in the functioning of Torrent Power in Agra franchisee as already indicated in its earlier repott.

Parishad president Avadhesh Kumar Verma said as per a CAG report on Dakshinanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam (a state power discom), till March 2012, a loss of Rs 421 crore had accrued to exchequer due to irregularities in Torrent Power’s bid evaluation and supplementary agreement.

He claimed CAG report submitted on April 16, 2013 had further mentioned that in the remaining 18 years of agreement, the loss would burgeon to Rs 4,601 crore.

“Even after submission of CAG report, the state government has so far failed to take any action, which amply demonstrates the anti-consumer policies of UP,” Verma noted.

The forum flayed the policy of slapping regulatory surcharge on power consumers.

Earlier, it had demanded audit of all UP power distribution companies by CAG to reveal the true picture of power procurement and distribution.

The forum had demanded that UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC) scrapped Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) filed by the discoms. ARR contains proposal for upward power tariff revision.

Verma had claimed the power companies had been submitting ARR without audit and power tariffs were raised annually based on hypothetical figures submitted by these companies for tariff revision.

He said these companies later ‘true up’ their accounts and submit audited figures to impose regulatory surcharge on consumers.

The ARR for 2014-15 is against the provisions of Electricity Act 2003 and any tariff revision proposal without audit is liable to be rejected, he underlined.