State fails to utilise Centre’s solar power plant scheme
Prepaid electricity meters have been installed in government offices. Gone are the days when government offices used power like it was free. Fans and air-conditioners ran indiscriminately for indefinite hours. But with the state government reigning in power usage to cut down wastage, the scenario in government offices will soon be very different.
TS Southern Power Distribution Company has installed prepaid rechargeable electricity meters in place of regular meters in 250 government offices in the Central circle, which includes GHMC limits.
Discom officials said that like with any prepaid system, if the office consumes its prepaid amount it can recharge it for another 48 hours. The discom is sending circulars to such government offices asking for onemonth charges to be paid in advance as per the prepaid norm.
Government departments have been defaulting on bill payments with arrears running into `1,600 crore, of which more than `1,000 crore was from gram panchayats. With the prepaid meters the departments can consume only as much power as they have paid for in advance.
The state requires about 22,000 prepaid meters if all government offices are to have prepaid meters. Discom has given the contract to four companies to supply the meters. It is expected that within a month, all government offices will have prepaid meters. After government offices in GHMC limits are covered, it will be the turn of those in the district headquarters and gram panchayats.
A senior official of Energy Department said, “A majority of the government offices were wasting power by using it indiscriminately. The state has failed to utilise the Centre’s scheme of setting up of solar power plants in government offices.
The Centre was to provide 25 per cent of the project cost as an incentive while the balance cost would be borne by the solar companies.
Without spending a single rupee all government buildings could have had solar power plants. But the proposals sent by TS NonConventional Energy Department (NCED) have been pending with Whether officers are in the offices or not all fans, lights, ACs are always on till the end of the day. After introduction of prepaid meters every department has to make provision in the budget to purchase power the government for over six months.
According to the scheme, state governments have to send proposals with the details of buildings and expenditure to the Centre, which will call for tenders. After selecting the bidder, the Centre will give 25 per cent of the project cost and remaining according to their requirement. With this there will be no arrears from any government department. After reaching the prepaid limit, the supply of power will stop automatically.” cost would be borne by the vendor.
The vendor would recover the money from the state government through monthly instalments. The money would come from the saving on electricity bills. The arrangement would continue till the bidder recovers his investment.
NCED officials said they had proposed to instal solar power plants in government offices in the city in the first phase, and were awaiting approval. Once that comes, the will prepare a detail project report to send to the Centre.