Ref. : ER/Press/’03/plea.52/sam/DG

Direct GEB to compensate consumers for power cut, CERS tells GERC

Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), Ahmedabad, has appealed to the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC) to appoint a committee or a body to look into the functioning of the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) whose “inefficient and uneconomical operations” led to the recent spurt in power cuts and load-shedding in the State.

Making the ninth submission to the GERC on its petition filed on 6 May 2002 on power crisis in Gujarat, CERS highlighted the fact that the shortage of power between demand and supply was almost 2000 MW in the State. Against a demand for 9373 MW, the GEB procured and supplied only 7309 MW, CERS stated.

The GEB extended the 15 days power cut imposed on industrial consumers on 17 November 2003 by another 15 days, i.e till 17 December 2003, which forced the closure of non-continuous process industrial units for one more day in a week. The continuous process industries got a power cut of 20 per cent on the sanctioned load. The high tension (HT) consumers with 861continuous process industries and 21,328 non-continuous process industries, totalling 22,189, were affected by the imposition of this additional power cut. Besides, the agricultural sector was getting only six to eight hours of power supply in 24 hours. There were also reports of phased power cut on residential and commercial consumers, stated the submission.

The GEB had not been operating its oil based Dhuvaran thermal power station (TPS) to its full capacity for about past two years which could be ascertained from the plant load factors of the last four years. The Dhuvaran TPS produced power to 50.28 per cent of its capacity in 1999-2000, 50.25 in 2000-2001, 38.38 in 2001-2002 and 29.63 in 2002-2003. CERS asked the GERC to ensure that the Dhuvaran power plant produce electricity at least 70 per cent of its capacity. CERS requested the Commission to direct the GEB to provide it with details of the GEB’s own power generation, the number of units shut down under the Planned Maintenance Schedule, the number of units shut down due to forced outages and the details of power procured from Independent Power Producers, Central Utilities and other agencies.

CERS in its earlier submissions had highlighted the system of “seasonal forecast” where all the power generating and distributing utilities were supposed to give presentation on the demand of power supply for next season or four months and how they were going to meet this demand with the sources available with them. This way the utilities automatically became accountable to consumers and able to maintain the quality and continuity of power supply. The presentation by the generating and distribution companies should be made in the presence of various stake holders, consumer groups and other industrial associations where consumers could question the utilities about their querries and grievances.

The Electricity Act 2003 has provisions where utilities have to maintain certain standards of performance and also to give compensation to consumers affected due to poor performance of the utilities. On the strength of this provision, CERS appealed to the GERC to invite complaints from consumers who have incurred
loss due to present power shortage in the State.

Date : 11/12/2003
Place : Ahmedabad

Pritee Shah
Editor
INSIGHT — The Consumer Magazine

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CONSUMER EDUCATION AND RESEARCH SOCIETY
“Suraksha Sankool”, Thaltej, Sarkhej-Gandhinagar Highway,
Ahmedabad- 380 054 (INDIA)
Phone: 079-7489945-46 Fax: 079-7489947
E-mail: cerc@wilnetonline.net
Web Site: http://www.cercindia.org
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