Ref. : ER/press/’07/Airin.21
A recent report published by the Ministry of Power has shattered
the State Government’s claim that Gujarat is surplus in power.
Consumer Education and Research Society (CERS), Ahmedabad, has objected
to the Energy Minister’s statement, making the claim of surplus
power. Ironically,the monthly report of the ministry itself states
that power shortage in Gujarat remained around 22 per cent during
April and May 2007.
The power deficit remained 15.1 per cent during the non-peak hours
with the supply of 7736 MW against the demand for 9109 MW. This
deficit further increased to 21.9 per cent during the peak hours
with the supply of 8376 MW against the demand for 10728 MW. The
power shortage in the Western region remained 26.5 per cent with
a deficit of 30.4 per cent in Maharashtra, 21.9 in Gujarat and 18.2
in Chhattisgarh. The Government’s claim of providing 24 hours’
power supply to villages under the Jyotir Gram Yojna is proved false
by this report.
The Government’s stand on the surplus power in the State
is exposed by the following details:
| Year |
Maximum Demand - MW |
Maximum Supply - MW |
Deficit MWs |
% |
| 2002-03 |
8641 |
7336 |
1305 |
15.1 |
| 2003-’04 |
9820 |
7204 |
2616 |
26.6 |
| 2004-’05 |
10162 |
7578 |
2584 |
25.4 |
| 2005-’06 |
9783 |
7610 |
2173 |
22.2 |
| 2006-’07 |
11619 |
8110 |
3509 |
30.2 |
| April-May’07 |
10728 |
8376 |
2352 |
21.9 |
It is surprising that, on one hand, the State Government has added
a meagre 346 MW to the capacity during the past five years. On the
other, Gujarat Urja Vikas Nigam Ltd. (GUVNL) has decommissioned
63.5 x 4 = 254 MW of Dhuvaran units and derated the capacities of
two units from 140 MW to 100 MW each. The Government does not want
to invest in State-owned Gujarat State Electricity Co. Ltd. (GSECL)
nor has it gone for renovation and modernisation of old plants,
bringing the State to this present crisis. The GUVNL sold 743 MUs
to power-starving Maharashtra at Rs.3.38/unit and earned Rs. 200
crore, leaving the consumers in Gujarat in the dark.
The State Government, on other hand, has encouraged independent
power producers (IPPs) to invest a huge amount of Rs. 25,000 crore
in generation of 4955 MWs. The GUVNL has signed MoUs with Essar
Power Ltd., China Light and Power Ltd., Torrent Power Ltd. and Adani
Power Ltd. for the installation of mega power plants in Gujarat.
CERS has raised a question about the huge burden to be transferred
to electricity consumers of Gujarat. Firstly, by purchasing expensive
power from independent power producers and secondly burden of 55000
employees and officers of the State-owned seven electricity companies
where the man-megawatt ratio is 11:1 compared to private companies
like Torrent, Tatas and Reliance where this ratio is half of this.
CERS has also requested the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission
(GERC) to regulate these monopolies and make sure that this burden
does not fall on the electricity consumers of Gujarat. CERS has
regretted that even after four years of implementation of Electricity
Act, these monopolies have not yet been made accountable.
The question arises, why the State Government is not allowing private
companies to enter the distribution sector. Is the Government afraid
of competition in the electricity sector of Gujarat?
Date : 20/08/2007
Pritee Shah
Place: Ahmedabad
Editor
Insight-The
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