Haryana Seb Scrapped, To Be Replaced By Two Corps

In a major political decision, the Haryana government has scrapped the loss-making Haryana State Electricity Board (HSEB) and created two new corporations -- Haryana Power Generation Corporation Limited (Genco) and Haryana Vidyut Prasar Nigam (TRANSCO). The move is aimed at improving the generation and transmission of power in the power-starved state.

Ranjit Issar, former chairman of the now dissolved HSEB, has been appointed chairman and managing director (CMD) of TRANSCO. State power secretary S Y Quraishi has been appointed chairman of Genco and will serve in a dual capacity.

Earlier, the state government had also proposed to set up another company in the joint sector, with private sector participation, to look after the distribution of power in the state.

However, according to official sources, that proposal has been postponed for the time being. Now the distribution of power in Haryana will be carried out by TRANSCO. The Haryana government has also taken the lead in setting up the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Authority.

V S Ailawadi, a retired civil servant, has been appoint chairman of the commission while Ramesh Chandra, former deputy-comptroller General of India and R K Chander, chief engineer with the Central Electricity Authority, are the other two members of the commission. They were sworn in by Haryana Governor Mahabir Prasad at Raj Bhawan yesterday.

Official sources said the decision to scrap the HSEB and set up the Electricity Regulatory Commission was taken under the directions from the World Bank.