Orissa energy minister Surya Narayan Patro has strongly criticised the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) for its failure in handling the erring distribution companies (distcos) and handing out favourable orders to them.
OERC’s decision to allow Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU) to trade power has irked the minister.
“The commission may be thinking that the cash-strapped CESU may infuse funds from trading activities for system improvement, but I have my doubts,” Patro said and cautioned, “the commission must ensure that the utility is not misusing the license to trade power.”
He also expressed his displeasure over OERC’s failure in making the distcos perform. The distcos’ management are not infusing fresh capital for system improvement. Moreover, their performance in general and arresting the transmission and distribution loss in particular is very poor, he remarked. Unless OERC handles them properly and makes them perform, the system would collapse, he said.
Patro expressed concern over the high T&D loss of 43%.
The minister was speaking at a seminar on management and technology in billing and collection organised by OERC here on Wednesday.
Patro also criticised the Union power ministry for its decision not to give any assistance to the state under the accelerated power development reforms programme. He said the state government is going to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court.