Mahavitaran cuts T&D losses by 6.5 per cent

State government-owned power distribution company, Mahavitaran, has managed to reduced its transmission and distribution losses (T&D) by 6.5 per cent in 2007 leading to a rise in the discom's average monthly revenue from Rs 1,200 crore to Rs 1,700 crore. With this, the company expects to breakeven by the end of current fiscal year.

Addressing a press conference, Mahavitaran managing director AB Pandey said, "We were always reminded about Maharashtra's high percentage of T&D losses, which stood over 32 per cent in 2005, and were always compared with Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat on this front. But today, we stand in the league of Gujarat and Andhra. While our T&D losses are now around 22.35 per cent, Gujarat's losses are around 21.6 per cent and Andhra's at 22.70 per cent."

In the year 2005-06, when the erstwhile state electricity board was trifurcated and three separate companies for generation, transmission and distribution were created, Mahavitaran's losses stood at Rs 300 crore. This was reduced to Rs 100 crore in 2006-07.

Pandey said the power distribution company was able to detect over 60,000 cases of power theft which helped in bringing down the T&D losses to 22.35 per cent from 28.85 per cent in 2006.

Among the other initiatives, the discom had last year launched a Krishi Swabhiman Yojana for farmers under which those who were using power illegally were given amnesty if they got a legal connection and agreed to pay their dues. Around 1.25 lakh farmers took advantage of this scheme.

According to Pandey, the scheme helped them start regular source of income from 1.25 lakh new farmers.

Another scheme to tackle the situation is the photo-meter reading bills, which has been implemented in Pune and Navi Mumbai. Under this, not just the reading but also the photo of the meter is taken and sent to the consumer. Mahavitaran now plans to introduce this scheme across Maharashtra.

During the current year, the discom is targeting to bring down its losses to below 20 per cent.

Meanwhile, the state power regulator Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has cleared the Rs 9000-crore modernisation and expansion plan of Mahavitaran.

"The finances for this programme have also been tied up and we hope to launch it by the end of this fiscal or in the beginning of the next fiscal. We expect to complete it over the next three years," Pandey said.