Orissa to pitch for central assistance under APDRP

With the Government of India exploring the possibility of extending financial assistance under the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (APDRP) to states like Delhi and Orissa where the power distribution has been privatized, Orissa will make a strong pitch for the same.

The state which expects to get a financial assistance to the tune of Rs 1500-2000 crore under the Restructured APDRP over a period of five years has deputed an eight-member house committee under the state assembly speaker Pradeep Amat to push the case of the state.

The house committee is scheduled to meet the Union power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde soon in this connection.

If the Centre approves Orissa's case, the state will get a grant of Rs 500 crore and the rest as loans from 2010-11 to 2014-15.

It may be noted that Orissa was not eligible under the original APDRP as the power distribution in the state was privatized.

The restructured APDRP involves an expenditure of Rs 50,000 crore, aimed to bring the Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) loss to less than 15 per cent in the urban and high density population areas by the end of the 11th Five Year Plan (2011-12).

Projects under the restructured APDRP will be taken up in two parts: Part-A and Part-B. Part-A includes preparation of base line data for the project area covering consumer indexing, GIS mapping, metering of distribution transformers and feeders, automatic data logging for all distribution transformers and feeders. Besides, this will include Asset Mapping of the entire distribution network at and below the level of 11 KV transformers and shall include the distribution transformers and feeders, low tension lines, poles and other distribution network equipment.

It will also include adoption of information technology (IT) applications for meter reading, billing and correction, energy accounting and auditing, redressal of consumer grievances, establishment of IT enabled consumer service centres.

The base line data and required system shall be verified by an independent agency appointed by the Union ministry of power.

The Part-B of the Restructured APDRP includes renovation, modernization and strengthening of 11 KV level substations, transformers, re-conductoring of lines at 11 KV level and below, load bifurcation, feeder separation, load balancing, aerial bunched conductoring in dense areas, replacement of of electromagnetic energy meters with tamper proof electronic meters, installation of capacitor banks and mobile service centres.