NEW INITIATIVES ON POWER DISTRIBUTION
The Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has started conducting
Training Workshops in all regions of the country, in order to
accelerate improvement on the distribution side of electricity
supply system of the country. The workshops are aimed at training
circle level technical officers of the utilities in formulating
plans for the improvement of their sub-transmission and distribution
networks. Inaugurating the first Workshop in Delhi, Shri H.L.Bajaj,
Chairman, CEA, said that the power sector of the country was passing
through a crucial phase, and concerted efforts of all the agencies,
particularly those managing the distribution system were required
at this juncture so that the power sector becomes viable and the
consumer could reap the benefits of reforms.
Shri B.D.Gautam, Chairman, WBSEB, who delivered the keynote address,
said that distribution reforms were intricately linked with issues
of governance. He remarked that as a result of the transparency
being introduced in the fixation of tariffs by the regulatory
commissions, the State Electricity Boards and other distribution
utilities would be compelled to reveal the true magnitude of distribution
losses. Shri K.K.Govil, Director, Power Finance Corporation (PFC)
informed that in a bid to expedite distribution reforms, the PFC
would henceforth not insist on the guarantee of the State Government
for loans for improving the distribution system.
Similar Training Workshops will also be conducted in Chandigarh,
Guwahati, Kolkata, Bangalore and Mumbai.
