Respected Sir,
All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) wants to draw your kind attention to the strike notice of all trade unions and associations of power employees & engineers of Puducherry against the proposal to privatize electricity distribution of Union Territory of Puducherry. As all power employees and engineers are being forced to proceed on indefinite strike from 11th January 2021, you are kindly requested to use your good office and intervene immediately so that the privatization process is withdrawn and strike is averted in the larger interest of the state.
2. The Electricity Department of Government of Puducherry is a deemed licensee under Section 14 of Electricity Act, 2003 and is carrying on the business of Transmission, Distribution and retail supply of Electricity in Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam and Mahe Regions of the Union Territory of Puducherry. With all the Towns and villages electrified as early as 1972, the Union Territory is 100% fully electrified. The UT of Puducherry meets most of the power demand from Central Generating stations and is providing reliable power supply at a considerably lower tariff among adjoining states due to which the industrial and tourism sectors are flourishing.
3. The average cost of supply during 2019-20 as per the recent JERC tariff order is Rs. 5.59 which is one of the lowest in the country. The T&D loss figures as shown below are at par with various well performing utilities.
|
Particulars |
2017-18 |
2018-19 |
2019-20 |
|
% T&D Loss as per petition |
13.75 |
13.27 |
12.24 |
|
% T&D Loss approved by JERC |
13.75 |
13.27 |
12.50 |
Besides, the gap between the Retail sales and the Net Revenue Requirement is surplus for the last few years and for the year 2019-20 it is Rs.23.33 Crores which implies that the Puducherry is exceeding the targets.The O&M costs of the Electricity Department, U.T. of Puducherry is almost 1/3rd of the O&M costs of private Discoms for the similar asset quantity. Despite the all round good performance of the Electricity Department, Govt. of Puducherry, the Ministry of Power Govt. of India have taken the unilateral decision that the electricity department of UT of Puducherry should privatize ignoring the unanimous resolution passed by Puducherry Assembly.
4. In view of above facts and circumstances AIPEF requests you to immediately withdraw the decision of privatisation of the Electricity Department, Puducherry . AIPEF also wants to intimate you that in case power employees & engineers of Puducherry are forced to proceed on indefinite strike from 11th January, all power engineers of country shall not be silent spectators and if privatization decision is not withdrawn power engineers across the country shall be forced to resort to supportive action responsibility of which will be yours.
Thanking you, With regards.
Sincerely Yours
Shailendra Dubey
Chairman