Goa Electricity Department also need to avoid wastage of energy by installing light sensor for switching on/ off the street lights which are presently manually done by a driver, electrician and big Tempo. The damage to underground cables need to be recovered from respective department. Many inaccessible meters are billed minimum should stop.
Dr SACHIN TENDULKAR On Mar 12, 2015 10:58 PM, "Goanet Reader" <[email protected]> wrote: > Electricity Department, don't pass on the shock to the consumers > > Roland Martins > [email protected] > > Any tariff charged to the consumer must be linked to the > services offered by the service provider to the Consumer. In > the case of the Electricity Department (ED Goa), being the > sole service provider to the electricity consumers in Goa, we > need to be careful to scrutinize the services provided before > any order is passed by the JERC on the petition for a higher > tariff by the Electricity Department. We have to see whether > the Electricity Department has fulfilled its obligations as > per the Electricity Act 2003 as well as the earlier Orders of > the JERC. > > Just because the Electricity Department has a > revenue gap of Rs. 929 crores, it cannot be > allowed to transfer this burden on to the > consumers. It is time that the Goa Electricity > Department pulls up its socks and takes > responsibility for any financial mismanagement that > has occurred over the last three decades. We > cannot be silent spectators to the fact that > Electricity Department seeks to give consumers in > Goa this Rs. 929 crores "tariff shock" in phases > by increasing the tariff over the next two years > i.e. 2015-16 and 2016-17. > > As in the future there may not be budgetary support from the > Government of Goa, the Electricity Department must address > the issue of it becoming a Corporation and run its business > with accountability and transparency. > > The argument that the tariff has not been increased for the > last ten years cannot be the basis for a necessary hike in > tariff. Good financial management and cutting down of > distribution losses is in fact the need of the hour for the > Electricity Department, Goa. > > Even today's newspapers have reports that the Central > Government will respond in a positive way and provide Rs. > 1200 crores to streamline power transmission and distribution > in the State. Will this money figure some where? > > The consumer must pay for what is provided and not > for what is denied. When consumers do not get > power, why are they not being compensated? The > Commission needs to get the Electricity Department, > Goa to give a concrete assurance on the same when > passing its Order on the petition. > > Then there is the issue of fixed charges and minimum charges. > > Consumers are left clueless as to the basis of these charges > being calculated. The right to be informed seems to be > ignored by the Electricity Department. Many consumers are > being arbitrarily charged for laying new power lines in their > neighbourhood, but when challenged the officials of (ED Goa) > have had to back track. The Commission needs to ensure > transparency and accountability from (ED Goa) before taking a > decision on their petition. > > New electronic meters are installed but consumers not > provided the Manual, Test Report and Warranty Card. > > Hundreds of consumers are not being provided these documents, > which has resulted in many consumers doubting the metering > and billing procedure. Consumer education by the service > provider is a must but the Electricity Department has not > taken any proactive steps in this matter. > > Meter seal is also removed but in many cases not replaced. > > While the Electricity Department is constantly highlighting > its losses, it does not have a system in place to curb the > tampering of the meters. The practice of ensuring the seal > is in place for all the meters must be taken up by the > Electricity Department. > > Then, there is the issue of the Bureau of Energy Efficiency (BEE). > > The Electricity Department, in Goa, as a service > provider has a responsibility to encourage energy > efficiency and even promote the Bijli Bachao > Campaign in co-ordination with BEE. Consumers in > Goa have been denied this opportunity and thereby > no effective power saving strategies have been put > in place. Moreover such a campaign would save > lakhs of rupees of the Consumers if the Electricity > Department, as a service provider, was pro active. > > > > The Electricity Department, as a service provider, also has > a responsibility to implement the various Orders of the > Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). This is specially in terms > of use of quality materials with ISI mark for electrical > works in the government and non-government sector as this > would automatically ensure long lasting use. Neglect in this > area by the Electricity Department in Goa is resulting in > duplicate and fake materials being used thereby resulting in > financial losses and fires due to short circuit. > > The Electricity Department, Goa, has remained > silent on the need to shift from CFL to LED, > thereby depriving thousands of consumers the > opportunity to reduce their power bills by using > the right bulbs and other lighting materials in > their homes and offices. The Commission needs to > instruct Electricity Department in this matter as > it is has the privilege of being the sole service > provider and thereby has a monopoly. > > A report to be prepared by the Electricity Department on the > safety of the consumer and the workforce, injuries and fatal > accidents. Although GOACAN had highlighted this matter in > the previous public hearing and the Commission had ordered > that Electricity Department prepares a report to be submitted > in one month, nothing significant has emerged. Such a report > would have pointed to areas where action needs to be taken. > > While the introduction of the HELPLINE 1912 is a > step in the right direction and must be > appreciated, it is important that the Electricity > Department increases it ambit very specifically to > take calls regarding possible damage to power lines > and other infrastructure, illegal power tapping, > street lights not working, streetlights being left > on during the day and related matters. This type > of feedback could be very crucial for the > Electricity Department in Goa in terms of cutting > down losses and increasing revenue. > > The Electricity Department must look at the protection of its > infrastructure as vital to its plan to cut losses, protect > its assets and gain the good will of its consumers. It must > put in place in 2015-16 an area-wise protection plan in place > i.e at the level of the transformers and beyond where in the > consumer is seen as a partner and not just a bill paying consumer. > > Every year National Safety Week (4th to 10th March) and Fire > Safety Week from (14th April) is observed in the country and > Goa but the Electricity Department has not been active in > this field. For the safety of its workforce it is very > important that Electricity Department becomes proactive. The > recent rise of fire accidents linked to electrical lines in > homes and offices is a wake up call for the department to pay > special attention and take up an awareness drive. > > The losses to the infrastructure of the Electricity > Department in terms of power lines during the > monsoons and the subsequent storms and the > resultant power cuts need to reviewed. There is a > need for close co-ordination with other departments > but the Electricity Department must have its > exclusive District Rapid Action Teams properly > equipped for these eventualities with necessary > backup maintenance team functioning 365 days so > that the vehicles, pulleys, ladders, cutters, > mobile generator operated flood lights etc are > ready to use at any given moment. > > This effort by the Electricity Department itself will cut > down losses and improve finances in the years ahead. > > Underground cabling is the right step but requires > maintenance and safety. The Electricity Department must see > underground cabling as an important step to cut transmission > losses and better service to its consumers. If it fails to > work with the local self governing bodies like Village > Panchayats and Municipal Councils and take them into > confidence for the maintenance and safety then it will face > losses in the near future. Constant digging of the roads in > these areas has resulted in damage to underground cables as > no maps of these lines are available in the local area. Huge > expenditure with Central Government assistance on such > infrastructure needs to be seen as an investment for the > future which will become a liability if ignored and result in > the consumer facing the brunt of a tariff hike in the future. > > Non-refund of expenses incurred by consumers on items meant > to be supplied free of charge is another issue. > > Hundreds of consumers are being denied the benefit of the 30 > metres free cable from the pole to the house and are being > forced to buy the same from the open market without being > given a refund. The systematic harassment that is being > meted out to the consumer in this matter was highlighted by > GOACAN in the earlier hearing but despite instructions from > the commission no effective steps are being taken. > Appropriate orders should be issued and refunds be provided > at the earliest. > > Delayed billing and constant changes in the billing > contractors are a burden to the consumer. The constant > delays in raising monthly bills by the Electricity Department > has become a headache and financial concern for an average > consumer. Bills being delayed for four months at a time and > resulting in wrong calculations has only turned the consumer > into an adversary of Electricity Department. The Commission > must instruct the Electricity Department to put its house in > order with regards to the billing process so that money that > is due to be paid is received in time by maintaining a > uniform billing process without constant changes in the > contractors undertaking the task of generating bills. > > The Electricity Department must plug the leakages in the > illegal tourism sector. While Goa has a resident population > of around 15 lakhs it receives nearly 50 lakh tourist > (domestic and foreign) annually. A large number of rented > accommodation and food & beverage outlets paying domestic > power charges are being put to use in the illegal tourism > sector by cashing in on huge rentals in foreign currency > thereby creating a revenue loss to the Electricity > Department. Instead of a tariff hike and transferring the > burden on to the honest bill paying consumers, the > Electricity Department needs to work with the Department of > Tourism, collect economic intelligence and plug the financial > leaks. The Electricity Department has till date not > appointed nor announced its willingness to set up a Vigilance > and Revenue Recovery Teams for North and South Districts of Goa. > > The Consumer Grievance Redressal Forum needs to be made > effective. In the present petition, the Electricity > Department has shown a proposed increase in the expenses to > be incurred on CGRF but has failed to implement the order of > the Commission to make the CGRF more effective. Its present > permanent location in Vasco has made it inaccessible to the > Consumers of the whole of Goa. The Electricity Department > needs to take a call on this issue at the earliest, if not > Consumers will opt for other avenues for grievance redressal > which in the long term will be costly for the Electricity > Department. > > -- > Roland Martins is Co-ordinator, GOACAN. These issues were > raised at the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) > public hearing held on Wednesday March 11, 2015 in Goa. >
