Power theft a national loss: Haryana electricity regulatory panel chief at public hearing
In rural areas, 62 out of 1,182 feeders have losses exceeding 40%
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) conducted a public hearing in Yamunanagar on the Annual Revenue Requirement (ARR) petition filed by Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) for the financial year 2026-27.
Presiding over the hearing, HERC chairman Nand Lal Sharma said that electricity theft constituted a national loss and ultimately places a burden on genuine electricity consumers. He emphasised that preventing electricity theft was a shared responsibility requiring collective vigilance and cooperation.
Clarifying concerns regarding agricultural subsidies, the chairman said that the electricity subsidy provided to farmers was fully borne by the state government and was not transferred to other consumer categories.
He said that the Commission had been conducting field-level public hearings across the state to strengthen transparency and inclusivity. He further directed UHBVN officials to respond promptly to issues raised by consumers. UHBVN director Anil Kumar Yadav provided detailed clarifications to various queries.
During deliberations, detailed discussions were held on a number of issues, including short-term power procurement, procurement through power exchanges, manpower requirements, loan repayment obligations and depreciation.
Commission member Mukesh Garg stressed that billing errors concerning domestic consumers must be rectified promptly at the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) level. He also emphasised greater transparency in power outage information, revenue recovery, and expenditure reporting, while expressing concern over the rising incidence of electricity theft.
Commission member Shiv Kumar observed that industrial consumers demonstrated greater awareness and noted that suggestions submitted by chartered accountants during the hearing were constructive and valuable.
According to data presented by UHBVN, the utility’s Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses currently stand at 9.12 per cent. Of 1,013 urban feeders, only two feeders report losses exceeding 20 per cent. In rural areas, 62 out of 1,182 feeders have losses exceeding 40 per cent. UHBVN also reported 100 per cent billing collection efficiency.
The public hearing was attended by Commission members Mukesh Garg and Shiv Kumar; secretary Prashant Deshta; electricity ombudsman RK Khanna; UHBVN director Anil Kumar Yadav; SE (Operations) Narender Kumar; SE (Regulatory Affairs) Punit Kundu; senior officials of HERC and UHBVN; and a large number of electricity consumers.
The proceedings were conducted by deputy director (Media) Pradeep Malik. UHBVN executive engineers Shekhar Mohan, Pawan Chhikkara, Pankaj Deshwal, Jagmeet Singh and other officials were also present.
