Himanta Biswa Sarma says Assam power sector loses Rs 300 crore per month due to power theft and unpaid bills

He further said that the state government is now planning to recover the revenue and stop illegal power consumption.

In a meeting with three Assam government-run power companies – Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL), Assam Power Generation Corporation Ltd (APGCL) and Assam Electricity Grid Corporation (AEGCL), held in Guwahati on Monday, Himanta Biswa Sarma concerned over dip in revenue collection and consequent loss and asked the power Companies to work on strategies to plug the reasons responsible for revenue loss.

He directed the companies to design modalities for increasing their revenue generation and profits including quality service delivery to the consumers.

“Some fraudulent consumers adopted dubious methods to save electricity bills causing huge loss of revenue to APDCL. To recover this loss and to pay for power purchase, APDCL is compelled to approach to Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission to increase the rate of energy tariff. The public in general have to bear the brunt of this increased rate in electricity tariff as the resultant load of the loss generated from the defaulting consumers is compensated from the general public,” Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

The Assam Chief Minister also directed the power companies to design modalities and plug the loopholes so that consumers cannot evade electricity tariffs and indulge in fraudulent practices and to maintain extensive vigilance to stop power theft and reduce transmission and distribution loss across the state.

He advocated for linking the revenue collection with promotion of qualitative performance and active service delivery system to the consumers.

He also asked the power companies to be innovative and look for ways to increase the revenue earnings and profits.

Himanta Biswa Sarma directed the APDCL to prepare a profile of the defaulting consumers.

He also asked the power companies to make a list of the Cement Companies and other high valued consumers, tally their production or services with GST returns and electricity bills.

“This exercise will help in bringing in semblance between total quantum of electricity consumed and electricity bills thus paid,” Sarma said.       
He emphasised on the need of putting in modern, state of the art technologies for the structural and qualitative development of the power companies to ensure 24x7 uninterrupted and quality power supply to the people of Assam as well the commercial establishments.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)