Mescom to set up 24/7 redressal centre in city

Speaking at the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) hearing on proposed hike in power tariff held at Deputy Commissioner’s office here on Monday, he said with the strengthening of the centre, the consumers can call the number and lodge their complaints on power supply interruptions, poor quality of materials used by Mescom.
New sub stations

He said Mescom has taken measure for the commissioning of the new 33/11 kv sub stations at Attavara in Mangalore division, Savanoor in Puttur division and N R Pura of Chikmagalur division. The sub stations will be commissioned in the next couple of months. A sub station at Nandigudda will be upgraded. In order to replace faulty meters, revolving fund of Rs five lakh has been given to all operation and maintenance executive engineers, who in turn will purchase meters from outlets established in each division.

New programmes
Under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana, the target for Mescom in Shimoga and Chikmagalur districts is to electrify 2,230 villages covering 247 habitations and 79,680 rural households. Mescom has covered 2,154 villages, 185 habitations. Mescom has submitted a proposal to electrify 611 villages covering 147 habitations and 41,733 rural households in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and is waiting for the approval from the authorities concerned.

 Mescom has earmarked a budget of Rs 15 crore for the electrification of 300 hamlets with its fund, he added. The MD said that a pilot project has been taken up at two 11 kv feeders at Kadaba in Puttur and Manai in Udupi for the replacement of old inefficient pumps with Energy efficient pumps.

The target for Mescom under Ganga Kalyana scheme for the financial year 2012 is 1,086. It is programmed to energise water supply schemes within three weeks if applicant’s formalities are completed.

As per the government order, all unauthorised irrigation pump (IP) sets are being regularised. By the end of August, Mescom had received 16,358 applications, of which, 777 applications have been regularised, he added.

Reduction in loss
The distribution loss has been reduced to 11.92 per cent in 2011 from 15.29 per cent in 2007, he said and added that Mescom has metered 93 per cent of IP sets.

As there is resistance from Shimoga and Chikmagalur districts, many of the IP meters were removed by the consumers. Mescom is contemplating to replace all the faulty meters in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts. In the first stage, the replacement work is being taken up at Puttur, Vittal, Manipal, Kundapur and Surathkal sub stations, he added.

Need for hike
Vijayanarasimha said the Mescom will incur net revenue deficit of Rs 129.39 crore during 2011.

The proposed power purchase cost for 2011 is Rs 1034.16 crore. The power purchase cost actually incurred during April to July, 2011 was Rs 413.36 crore as against the estimated average cost of Rs 344.67 crore. At the same time, Sharavathi generation will not be to the full capacity from November 2011 to February 2012 owing to major work along the canal.

The Mescom also urged the Commission to re introduce cross subsidy surcharge on open access and wheeling transaction.

Due to open access transactions, Mescom is losing about Rs 12 crore per annum in the current year, he added.