The A.P. Electricity Regulatory Commission (APERC) has initiated measures for extracting greater accountability from the State power utilities in their operations and redressing consumer grievances.
ERC Chairman Justice (retd.) C.V. Nagarjuna Reddy directed the DISCOMS to set up complaint boxes from the mandal level to the CMDs of DISCOMS in addition to the existing web-based and other complaint receiving systems.
This would enhance accountability among officials thereby ensure better service delivery, he said in a review meeting, according to an official release.
Justice Nagarjuna Reddy has categorically stated that agricultural lands should not be taken without the consent of farmers, for erecting transmission towers and installing High Tension (HT) power lines. He insisted that the power utilities should strictly adhere to rules so that farmers’ livelihood would not be in jeopardy.
The ERC chairman advised Energy Secretary N. Srikant to conduct meetings/video conferences with the District Collectors to see that fair compensation is provided to farmers on whose lands HT lines are laid, without inordinate delay.
Safety standards
He further suggested that an action plan be prepared by the DISCOMs and Chief Electrical Inspectorate for effective implementation of safety standards in DISCOMs to reduce accidents which were likely due to the negligence of power utilities.
The ERC is taking steps for strict monitoring of the standards of performance in DISCOMs and action taken for improving internal efficiencies.
It instructed the officials of the Energy Department to keep both the consumer interest and financial stability of DISCOMs in view before taking policy decisions, particularly on the tariff front, for the FY 2020-21.
