CHANDIGARH: PSEB Engineers Association (PSEBEA) today met Finance Minister Harpal Singh Cheemaand discussed the issues related to improve the financial condition of Punjab power sector. The seven member delegation of Association was led by President JS Dhiman and Ajay Pal Singh Atwal General Secretary.
The Association stressed the need for payment of pending subsidy, clering of defaulting amount by government departments and approval of revamped distribution scheme. The union power ministry has launched a scheme to improving the quality and reliability of power supply to consumers through a financially sustainable and operationally efficient distribution sector.
The scheme aims to reduce the AT&C losses and wipe out the gap between the accual cost of supply and revenue realised. The major component of losses under PSPCL is the low collection efficiency which is mainly due to delayed receipt of subsidy , Last year due to the non-receipt of full subsidy collection efficiency of PSPCL stands has reduced to 89.94% resulting in an increase in AT&C losses up to 20.38%.
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The defaulting amount of Rs 2366 crore is pending towards all government departments and major defaulters are Water Supply and Sanitation
(!095 crore), Local govt (718 crores), Rural Development and Panchayat (264 crores) and Health and Family Welfare (100 crores). The Association stressed that the sufficient funds to government departments be released for clearance o