PSEB engineers' assn against Montek panel recommendations

Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, September 6

The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Engineers’ Association has sought a meeting with Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Montek Singh Ahluwalia-led expert committee recommendations on power sector. Ajay Pal Singh Atwal, general secretary of the association, said, the union had written a letter to the Chief Minister on the recent recommendations of the expert committee which were very discouraging and in total disregard to the performance of PSPCL/PSTCL.

The association had pointed out that there was no expert from the power sector in the committee and even the committee had no discussion with PSPCL management and engineers. In matters related to the power sector, Atwal said, “The overall distribution losses in the PSPCL are at 11.7% and are among the lowest in India with mixed load urban feeders having a loss of 13.35%. The exclusive industrial feeders are having a loss of 1.8%. The abnormal losses in certain pockets can be easily brought down to less than 10% with political will. The association is of the considerate opinion that the recommendation of the committee to privatise distribution system in cities is not based on a fair analysis and knowledge about the Punjab’s power sector”.

Similarly, Jasvir Dhiman, president of the association, said further closing the two PSPCL thermal plants would lead to disastrous consequences for the state in the long run. The expert group has failed to point out that independent power producers (IPPs) in Punjab are creating an extra burden of Rs 1,000 crore per annum in the form of fixed charges. The closure of the state thermal plants would not only raise the tariff but also lead to total blackmail by the private sector IPPs.

The association also strongly recommended using high-quality coal from the PSPCL coal mine in Pachwara at PSPCL plants. Moreover, the cost of power from GVK Goinwal Sahib, TSPL Talwandi Sabo and L&T Rajpura has become uneconomical at a rate of Rs 9.54, 6.62, and Rs 5.05 per unit respectively. With an assured high plant load factor and use of coal from Pachwara coal mine, the rate per unit from Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat thermal plants of PSPCL will be significantly lesser.

“Regarding solarisation of all AP tubewells is not wise economics. To solarise 14 lakh AP tubewells having a connected load of about 13,000 MW, solar panels having a capacity of 30,000 MW shall have to be installed requiring a capital investment of Rs.1.20 lakh crore, besides 1.25 lakh acre productive land shall have to be spared by the farmers of Punjab. In such circumstances, the IPPs of Punjab will become almost non-operational and power share from the Central sector projects will have to be surrendered”, added Dhiman.