The Hindu Business Line : Mescom gears up to pare distribution losses

Mangalore, Aug. 13 The Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) Ltd, which has registered one of the lowest distribution losses in the country during 2006-07, is planning to bring it even further down.

Mr S. Sumanth, Managing Director of Mescom, told this at a public hearing organised by the Karnataka Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) in Mangalore on Monday.

Giving details, Mr Sumanth said that the company registered a distribution loss of 15.29 per cent during 2006-07 as against 15.51 per cent during the previous fiscal.

Mescom is planning to bring down the distribution losses to 14.90 per cent during 2007-08. He termed the distribution loss of the company as one of the lowest in the country.

The company initiated system improvement works to the tune of Rs 52.06 crore (Rs 23.07 crore) during 2006-07.

To improve quality of power supply to industries, Mescom has initiated steps to provide dedicated and exclusive power lines to the industry.

Under this, the consumer has to ensure additional consumption. The additional cost for such a facility has to be shared by Mescom and consumers, he said.

Mescom has proposed to introduce ATP (any time payment) kiosks. Such kiosks will be set up in Mangalore and Udupi soon, he said.

Mr Krishna Bhat, member of Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), said that members from industries consume around 20 per cent of the electricity supplied by the company.

However, they contribute around 60 per cent to the revenues of the company.

He said that the electricity tariff should be reduced and the quality of power should be improved.

Since the payment record is good among the power consumers, the Commission should think of fixing a differential tariff for the consumers of Mescom.

Mr K P Pandey, Chairman of KERC, and Mr S.H. Subrahmanya, member of KERC, conducted the proceedings of public hearing.