The Hindu Business Line : No need for tariff hike: APTransco

THE Transmission Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (APTransco) envisages that the energy year 2004-05 will end with a surplus of Rs 444 crore and stuck to its stand of not increasing the tariff rates.

The power utility presumes that there would be good monsoons resulting in normal hydel power generation during the year. It is also hopeful of further reducing the transmission and distribution losses.

Presenting APTransco's budget for the year before the AP Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC), the corporation's Chairperson and Managing Director, Ms Rachel Chatterjee, stated the total expenditure of the utility during 2004-05 was estimated to be Rs 10,683 crore and the net deficit without changing the tariff rates would be Rs 1,553 crore.

APERC had commenced public hearing on the no-hike proposal by APTransco and the four power distribution companies in the State at the Institution of Engineers on Monday.

Ms Chatterjee said that the deficit gap would be bridged by the subsidy expected from the State Government, reduction in T&D losses and a dip in the power purchase price from Rs 1.85 to Rs 1.70 per unit apart from fixation of the unit price for non-conventional energy at Rs 2.30 per unit as against Rs 3.45 per unit earlier.

However, APERC Tariff Director, Ms Geeta Gouri, termed the utility's budgetary surplus as "wishful thinking and it would be zero". She made a "staff viewpoint" of the power utility.

More Stories on : Power | Andhra Pradesh

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