DISCOM MOVES DERC AGAINST PENALTY ON POWER OUTAGES

NEW DELHI: Power distribution company, Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited, has filed a detailed petition in the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), highlighting practical and technical hurdles in implementing penalty on unscheduled outages.

A DERC notification in June stated that the discoms will have to compensate consumers for unscheduled power cuts, with penalties ranging from `25 to `100 per hour. Delhi LieutenantGovernor Najeeb Jung is yet to approve the notification.

The DERC had issued the order following directions from the Delhi government. The discom said the Delhi government’s orders are not binding on the power regulator.

The Delhi High Court had recently quashed the directions of the government where prior approval of the L-G was not taken before issuing them. However, a senior government official said the high court verdict will have no effect on the notification issued by the DERC, which the TPDDL has challenged.

“The high court cancelled only the directions issued by the government to the DERC under Section 108 of the Electricity Act. But the DERC on its own can issue notifications which it has and also placed it in the Assembly,” the official said.

Under the notification, the discoms – BSES Rajdhani, BSES Yamuna and Tata Power – have given a time frame within which a particular outage has to be fixed, failing which penalties will be imposed.

The default period shall be considered from the time the first someone registers a complaint till the supply is restored. In its petition, the TPDDL has said the proposals were not possible to adhere to.

The high court cancelled only the directions issued by the government to the DERC under Section 108 of the Electricity Act. But the DERC on its own can issue notifications which it has and also placed it in the Assembly.

A SENIOR OFFICIAL, Delhi government