Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

EPDCL gets Japanese aid

Santosh Patnaik

Loan to be spent for improving quality of distribution also

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (EPDCL) which supplies power to three north coastal Andhra and two Godavari districts, has been sanctioned a loan of Rs.100 crores by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) to reduce technical losses.

By setting up 50 new and augmenting 46 existing 33/11 kv sub-stations in the five districts with an investment of Rs.71.55 crores in the first phase, the EPDCL is expecting to reduce the technical losses from 7 to 2 per cent.

The first phase will be completed by March-2006. The remaining amount of the loan which will be spent during next phase, will also be spent for improving quality of power distribution.

"By spending such a huge amount, we are expecting to drastically cut technical losses and save nearly Rs.42 crores a year," EPDCL Chairman and Managing Director Praveen Prakash told The Hindu .

The company has 30 lakh domestic and 1,060 HT consumers. Its projected revenue for the current fiscal is Rs.2,160 crores as against previous year's Rs.2,000 crores.

It could increase its revenue by Rs.50 crores during first half of 2006-07 compared to last year despite reduction in the tariff for HT consumers - whose consumption fetches half of the EPDCL's total revenue.

10-year repayment

The loan, being made available through the Power Finance Corporation, will have a repayment period of 10 years. PFC charges an interest of 8.5 per cent per annum.

"The reduction of technical losses by a record percentage among all the discoms help us save substantially and ensure supply of quality power," Mr. Praveen Prakash said.

The company also has several other big plans. It will spend Rs.250 crores during next three years for electrification of 1,900 habitations and sanction of eight lakh individual connections for below-the-poverty line (BPL) families at the rate of Rs.900 per household.

As part of becoming hi-tech, the EPDCL is digitising utility positions in towns at a cost of Rs.27 crores.

Ms. Rotla has been engaged for revenue collection and tracking down of faults in e-mode by having a link through global position system.

Efforts are also under way to introduce automatic remote metering system for industries.

Under this, bills will be served on the last date of billing through SMS and payments will be encouraged through electronic transfer. The relevant information will also be posted on the website. This system is introduced, to start with in the city, for the first time in the State.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Thousands worship snake-god
EPDCL gets Japanese aid
Bank employees go on strike today
New ENC chief pays tributes to martyrs
Trains' diversion from November 1
SC/ST staff oppose `creamy layer'
Painting exhibition at Visakha museum
Only one dengue case at KGH
Forum welcomes protection of women act
VUDA photography contest date extended
Struggle for existence
Around the City
In Visakhapatnam Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu