India to revamp major power program
NEW DELHI, Jan. 22 (UPI) — India says it will revamp its accelerated power development program to check high technical and commercial losses in the power sector.
“The restructured APRDP will kick start from April. The four-year old flagship program was reviewed by a task force headed by former Power Secretary P. Abraham,” said a power ministry spokesman.
He said a note for a revamped Accelerated Power Development Renewable Engery Program is being prepared after consulting with the Finance Ministry, Planning Commission and government-controlled power companies. The note is to be shortly presented before the federal Cabinet.
The aggregate technical and commercial losses in 2004-05 stood at 33.82 percent, which is a decline from 38.86 percent in 2002-03, The Business Standard newspaper reported Monday. But it was much higher than the acceptable level of 12-15 percent, the spokesman said. The Power Ministry said the national figure is not daunting.
There are states such as Jharkhand, Bihar, Mizoram, Sikkim, Mainpuri and Jammu and Kashmir where losses are as high as 60 percent and even higher, he said.
“There are also some states where losses are as below as 20 percent. But they are only three like Andhra Pradesh, Goa and Tamil Nadu,” the spokesman said.
The APRDP was set in motion to check the growing commercial losses in the provincial electricity boards. It was aimed at tackling these losses, but failed to deliver desired results.
The Power Ministry set up a task force to recommend corrective measure. The task force in its recently submitted report suggested a revamp of the program. The ministry has asked the task force to prepare a detailed note for the approval of the federal Cabinet.