Bhubaneswar, Oct. 9: The state government today set a target to reduce the aggregate technical and commercial loss in low transmission sector by seven per cent during the current financial year.
This was decided at a meeting of officials presided over by chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at the state secretariat here today.
Padhi directed the private power distribution companies to bring down the technical and commercial loss to seven per cent. The meeting stated that the state had achieved 5 per cent loss reduction during 2016-17.
It was revealed from the review that the loss reduction during the first four months of the current year has been more than 1.5 per cent in comparison to the corresponding period of the last year.
During 2015-16, the total technical and commercial loss in the sector was around 51.57 per cent, which was reduced to 46.45 per cent. During the first four months of the current fiscal, it has further been reduced by around 1.5 per cent.
The loss reduction has been highest (21.27 per cent) in Ghatgaon sub-division under Northern Electricity Supply Company (Nesco), followed by Gopalpur sub-division (20 per cent) under Southern Electricity Supply Company (Southco) and Kurnumda sub-division (18.30 per cent) under Western Electricity Supply Company (Wesco).
Energy secretary Hemant Sharma said various measures were taken for strengthening power supply system and performance in billing and collections. Billing agencies have been engaged through transparent tender process, he said. Performance-based incentive system has also been introduced in various divisions as a result of which billing and collection has shown upward trend.
Online mobile phone photo-based billing system has been introduced under Nesco, Wesco and Southco. Handset-based spot billing system was made functional in Central Electricity Supply Utility (Cesu) area.
Post offices have been roped in to receivepower bill payment. Point of sales machines have been made provided to all private power distribution companies. Digital payment gateways such as Paytm, Billdesk, Atom, ITZ cash also offer attractive payback incentives, Sharma said.
