Telangana: Contradictions seen in CAG report on 7-hr power supply

Hyderabad: There appears to be a contradiction in the findings of the Comptroller and Auditor General on free power supply to the agricultural sector by the Discoms.  

In its report, the CAG said that Discoms have not ensured power supply for seven hours a day to all agricultural feeders though the state government paid the subsidy during 2011-12 to 2015-16.

At the same time, CAG said that the Discoms were supplied more power to agricultural sector in the same period but they did not claim the subsidy from the government.

The CAG said that the Northern Power Distribution Company has failed to adhere to the agricultural sales volumes approved by the state Electricity Regulatory Commission in the tariff orders and also did not claim from the government the cost of additional units supplied to agricultural consumers, resulting in loss of Rs 1,077.27 crore during 2011-12 to 2015-16.

The CAG said during 2011 to 2015, the ERC approved 19,802.91 MU supply for agricultural sector, but the actual supply was 22,271.05 MU. For excess supply of 2,468.14 MU, the NPDCL did not claim subsidy to the tune of '1,077.27 crore the report said.

In the another paragraph, the CAG said  that the NPDCL did not ensure supply for seven hours a day  to all agricultural feeders and the government also had not monitored the supply, though the subsidy was paid for supply of electricity for seven hours a day.

The report said that supply was less than six hours a day to a majority of the feeders in many circles. It said out of the subsidy of  Rs 8,237.63 crore paid by the government during 2011- 2016, about Rs 1176.80 crore or 1/7 of the subsidy was not spent on fulfilment of the objective of the government of supplying  free power for seven hours a day to the agricultural consumers.

The CAG observed that in Warangal, Adilabad and Karimnagar circles during January 2016 to March 2016, power was never supplied for seven hours a day.  
In Khammam circle, power was supplied for six hours a day or less in all the days in January, February and up to March 20, 2016.