Restructuring of Hesco on the cards: Khilji

The Chief Executive Officer Hyderabad Electric Supply Company (Hesco) Habibullah Khilji has said that revamping and restructuring of Hesco was on the cards with investment and financial assistance of World Bank and Asian Development Bank (ADB) to minimise line losses, electric theft and enhance distribution capacity and meet the power requirement of the people.
This he observed while talking at Sindh Information Department, Media Forum at Regional Information Office Hyderabad on Friday. He said that World Bank has sanctioned loan of $26 million by which work for established of four new grid stations, up-gradation of four grid stations and rehabilitation of 39 feeders was in progress.
He said that Arial Bundle Conductor (ABC) system, installation of digital meters was also included in these works. Similarly ADB has sanctioned loan of $14.2 million for augmentation of 7 grid stations, rehabilitation of 50 grid stations, similarly other amount of $42 million for up-gradation of 36 11 K.V feeders with application of A.B.C. system and installation of digital meters and capacitors.
Besides further development programmes were also being negotiated with the management of ADB to bring improvement and efficiency in the system. He said that by increasing the capacity of power distribution and reducing the line losses, the company would be enable to minimise the gap in between supply and demand of the electricity.
He said that during the year 2008-09 in addition to establishment of new grid station at Wahi Pandhi, augmentation of 7 grid stations and extension of 6 grid stations were made. Besides 132 K.V. transmission line upto 70 K.M. was taken to Samaro from Mirpurkhas.
Similarly work for establishment of 5 new grid stations, conversion of two 66 K.V. grid stations into 132 K.V grid stations, augmentation of 3 grid stations, extension of 14 T/Bay, extension of 3 L/Bay and Capacitor installation at one grid station was in progress under PSDP 2009-10. He said that many such schemes have also been proposed for the future development programme.
Responding a question, he said that this system has 117 grid stations which include 81 grid stations of 132 K.V, 36 grid stations of 66 K.V and 55,000 transformers for rendering services to 14,75,000 consumers. He said that 60 percent consumers belong to rural area while remaining 40 percent belong to urban area.
He said that domestic consumption has been estimated as 80 percent, tube-well 14 percent, industrial 11/2 percent and remaining for other purposes. He said that Hesco was sustaining 34 percent line losses which include 5 percent technical losses, 13 percent distribution losses and 16 percent administrative losses due to flaws in the system which were being removed by introducing new methodology and technology.
He said that Hesco management had identified 300,000 illegal connections (Kundhas) out of which 71,000 connections have been got regularised through easy instalments while action against 700 employees has been taken on account of their involvement in electric theft and negligence. Responding another question, he anticipated power shortage after water closure in the month of December but assured that his management was fully prepared to adopt other means to mitigate the situation.
Responding another question, Habibullah Khilji said that as many as Rs 17 billion have been pileup against the government institutions and outstanding of Rs 14 billion were against the private consumers. To another question, he said that no payment is being made from Hyderabad Development Authority, Wasa, TMAs and streetlights on their pretext of lacking any allocation in this head. Responding another question, he said that 77 percent recovery has been achieved from private consumers while 100 percent recovery was being regularly made from the industrial sector.