‘Power board officials presenting wrong picture to state govt’
The board officials have misinterpreted that under the Electricity Act of 2003, it is mandatory to form three separate firms for distribution, transmission and generation whereas the production wing of the project can remain united with the distribution system as per law, said an office-bearer of power board pensioners forum.
The Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board Pensioners Forum has accused board officials of misinterpreting the Electricity Act of 2003 and presenting a “wrong picture” to the state government by claiming that the proposed 66-kv power line from Pooh to Kaza didn’t come under the jurisdiction of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL).
The forum’s state senior vice-president, Kuldeep Kharwada, in a statement here today, said as per Electricity Act of 2003, a 66-kv or above power line could be laid by the HPSEBL.
Kharwada said, under the centrally sponsored Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme, this power line had been sanctioned at a cost of Rs 362 crore to strengthen and improve the quality of distribution system in Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti districts.
“The board officials have wrongly misinterpreted that under the Electricity Act of 2003, it is mandatory to form three separate companies for distribution, transmission and generation whereas the production wing of the project can remain united with the distribution system as per law. Fifteen inter-state transmission lines which cannot be part of the distribution system have been surrendered to the HP Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (HPTCL) at the time of restricting the Electricity Board in 2010,” he added.
He said in the neighbouring state of Punjab, too, generation and distribution were integrated into the Punjab Power Corporation. Punjab had brought all its 829 power substations under the distribution system, he added.
“Punjab has upgraded 66/11-kv sub stations and now only 33 KV stations are left to upgrade,” he said. The forum leader has urged the CM to take decisions only after taking into account the views of the representatives of the board pensioners and employees.
