Overall Net
Benefit of approximately Rs. 6116 crores to Telangana and Rs. 1663 crores to
Assam
Union Minister of State (IC) for Power, Coal,
New & Renewable energy and Mines, Shri Piyush Goyal launched the Ujwal
DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) Web Portal & Mobile App, here today. It would track
and monitor the progress of DISCOMs on operational and financial parameters
under the UDAY scheme. An important part of the ‘Digital India Initiative’, the portal/app will ensure transparency,
enhance accountability of various stakeholders and facilitate view of near real
time progress, enabling consumers to demand better services for themselves.
Giving details of the UDAY portal/app, Shri Goyal
informed that it
would
provide details of latest progress made by various DISCOMs, as recent as last
month/quarter. The DISCOM–level data will
be integrated into State level and National level, which will be processed and
used for advanced performance analysis. The National, State and DISCOM
level dashboards will thus provide a snapshot of latest financial and
operational performance at various levels in public domain.
The Minister said
that the portal/app is a logical
follow–up to the MoUs
signed by the States under UDAY, not only to enable monitoring of the progress
made by the DISCOMs at Central Ministry level, but also for making future
schemes/plans for
improving DISCOMs performance. This will be the first time when the
performance metrics of various DISCOMs will be available in a single platform,
which shall promote healthy competition amongst the DISCOMs/States. This will bring
about an ethos of ‘Competitive Federalism’ among different
States to achieve best progress in public schemes, especially in the power
sector, Shri Goyal added.
Praising the advent of transparency and
accountability with the launch of web portals and mobile apps, Shri Goyal said that the
implementation of public programmes and schemes has become a ‘Citizen Process’, as these
portals and apps have placed all the information in public domain for scrutiny. Suppliers can
also develop their capabilities by understanding the focus area of the
utilities, resulting in improved performance by them, he added.
Giving examples of achievements in UDAY
among States, the minister quoted the Rajasthan Discom where, in less than two
years, annual losses of around Rs. 15000 crores will soon be converted into
profits.
He
also talked about Haryana’s progress, where as an example, all 173
villages in Panchkula have received 24×7 Power Supply. Shri Goyal
encouraged officials of the Ministry to think innovatively and come out with performance
based rewards for best performing States under UDAY. He also talked
about starting a ‘Citizen Poll’ to receive
feedback on the ground level achievements of different schemes, which would
help recalibrating their implementation process.
During the event, the States of Telangana
and Assam joined UDAY by signing Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) with the
Ministry of Power for operational and financial turnaround of their respective
DISCOMs, making the tally in the UDAY Club to 20. States with over
90%
of
total DISCOM debts to be covered under UDAY after Tamil Nadu comes on board,
Shri Goyal added.
While the Government of Telangana
would take over Rs.8923 crores of
the total Rs.11897 crores of DISCOM debt, the Government
of Assam would take over Rs.928 crores out
of total Rs.1510 crores DISCOM Debt (being
75% of their respective DISCOM debt outstanding as on 30.09.2015, as envisaged in the scheme) and the balance debt would be re–priced
or issued as State guaranteed DISCOM bonds. This would
amount to annual saving in the interest cost of Rs. 387
crores to Telangana and Rs. 37 crores to Assam respectively. The interest
cost on future borrowings is also expected to reduce, providing a saving of
around Rs.30–40 crores to these
States.
In case of Telangana, the reduction
in AT&C losses and transmission losses to 9.95% and 3% respectively
is likely to bring additional revenue of around Rs.1476
crores, during the period of turnaround, whereas additional revenue of
Rs. 699 crores would accrue to Assam
on reduction of AT&C losses and transmission losses to 15% and
3.4% respectively.
The gains to these states through Demand
Side interventions in UDAY such as usage of energy–efficient
domestic as well as industrial/commercial equipment is
expected to be around Rs. 1200 crores &
Rs. 260 crores respectively. The States of Telangana and Assam are also expected to benefit
around Rs. 2250 crores and Rs. 520 crores respectively on account of the
support being extended by the Centre through various coal reform measures.
An overall net benefit of
approximately Rs. 6116 crores and Rs. 1663 crores would accrue to these States viz. Telangana and Assam respectively, under UDAY, by way
of savings in interest cost, reduction in AT&C and transmission losses,
interventions in energy efficiency, coal reforms etc. during
the period of turnaround.
Other dignitaries present during the
event were Shri P.K. Pujari,
Secretary, Power, Shri Rajeev Kapoor, Secretary, MNRE, Shri B.P. Pandey, Special
Secretary, Power and CMD, REC Ltd, Shri Ajay Mishra,
Special Chief Secretary, Energy, Government of Telangana, Zareen Rahman Ahmed,
Secretary, Power, Government of Assam and other senior officials of the
Ministry of Power and the PSUs under the Ministry. State Power Secretaries
from UDAY States were also connected through video conferencing.
*****
RM/VM
