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HYDERABAD, Feb. 9

SEVERAL steps initiated by the Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd (APTransco) have enabled the transmission and distribution system to improve the voltage profile by about 10-12 per cent throughout the State that will have the capability to handle about 150 to 160 MUs per day during March.

The Chairman and Managing Director of APTransco, Ms Rachel Chatterjee, who held a meeting of the coordination committee at Vidyut Soudha, has said that the power utility has made rapid strides in strengthening the T&D system during the last four years. This has resulted in bringing down T&D losses to 29.2 per cent from 38 per cent in 1999 in 2001-2002 resulting in a total savings of about Rs 672 crore.

Further reduction in T&D losses by 4.6 per cent has been programmed to be achieved in the year 2002-203 and thereby bringing the overall losses to about 25 per cent.

By December 2002, the T&D losses have been estimated to be down to about 26 per cent. Following the reforms process initiated by the State Government, special thrust has been laid on investments in the T&D sector. The average yearly investment on T&D has increased from Rs 372 crore in 1990-91 to 1997-98 to more than Rs 988 crore in 1998-99, thereby reflecting an increase of about 147 per cent.

This has been supplemented by strengthening of the transmission system.

The increased emphasis laid on strengthening the T&D system, will enable the utility to reduce the losses significantly and will enable savings of hundreds of crores while ensuring reliable and quality power to consumers, according to Ms Chatterjee.

However, the CMD stated that concrete steps were being made to identify and eliminate low voltage pockets by maintaining compulsory rolling stock of distribution transformers at the mandal level to ensure swift replacement of distribution transformers.

During the year 2001-2002, the utility handled 44,721 MUs which is also the second highest after Maharashtra. Further, with increased emphasis on revenue collection, this has increased by Rs 717 crore, which is about 17 per cent over the same period last year. The utility also collected total arrears of Rs 684 crore.

Giving details of revenue collection, the CMD said that the responsibility and accountability fixed on various levels and improved metered sales has helped in improvement of revenue from Rs 4,159 crore in 1998-99 to Rs 6,622 crore in 2001-2002.

During the year, Rs 5,711 crore was raised compared to annual revenue rate target of Rs 5,485 crore.

While emphasising the need to supply power to the rural areas, particularly for the farm sector applications, the CMD stated that general awareness camps would be conducted in various parts of the State.

Further, with the implementation of the reform process, the State has become a test case for several States and this was clearly vindicated by the high rating accorded by Crisil.

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