Power distribution companies to be penalised for outages over one hour

NEW DELHI: Chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has asked Delhi MLAs to collect complaints of unscheduled power outages from people in their respective constituencies and forward them to the state government.

Power minister Satyendar Jain told reporters on Monday that complaints of outages lasting for more than one hour would mean penalty for the discoms.

“The chief minister held a meeting with MLAs and officials of all three power distribution companies at the Delhi Secretariat here on Tuesday, to take stock of the power situation. We have asked the MLAs to submit complaints of power cuts lasting more than one hour in their respective areas, so that discoms could be penalised. Discoms will have to compensate consumers for long power cuts,” Jain said.

The discoms told Kejriwal at the meeting that 250 transformers were required to entertain applications for new power connections and ensure uninterrupted power supply, especially in unauthorised colonies.

There were pending applications for new power connections across the unauthorised colonies in the city, which were not being considered due to lack of space for installation of new transformers, they said.

The discoms asked the government to provide land so that new transformers could be installed.

“Out of 250 transformers, 20-25 electricity transformers will urgently be installed. All the MLAs have also been asked to find out land in their respective areas where new transformers could be set up,” Jain said.

Earlier, in May, the AAP government announced that power distribution companies would compensate consumers for unscheduled outages extending up to two hours.

Penalties can go up to `100 per hour.

“If the licensee fails to pay compensation, the affected consumer(s) may approach the Ombudsman. In case the claim for compensation is upheld by the Ombudsman, the compensation shall be determined by the Ombudsman at the rate of `5,000 or five times the compensation payable as per ScheduleIII to these Regulations, whichever is higher,” a senior power department official said.

The chief minister also said back then that power distribution companies would be made to compensate consumers for even an hour’s outage if they did not boost their supply network in the next six months.

He said there was a need to make discoms “accountable for outages” and that Delhiites would benefit from the privatisation of the power sector.