Lok Sabha Question No. 3835 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2023-03-23
Subject: Consumption of Power
Ministry: POWER
Asked by: Hanuman Beniwal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF POWER LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3835

## ANSWERED ON 23.03.2023

## CONSUMPTION OF POWER

†3835. SHRI HANUMAN BENIWAL:

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  as  per  the  latest  report  of  the  Central  Electricity  Authority,  the estimated consumption of power in many States including Rajasthan shall remain high during the current year as compared to the previous year;
- (b) if so, the reasons for the same and the steps taken/likely to be taken by the Union Government to meet the demand for consumption;
- (c) whether  the  Government  conducts  any  study  with  regard  to  the  reasons leading to increasing liability on DISCOMs of the States; and
- (d) if  so,  the  details  of  the  liabilities  in  respect  of  Ajmer,  Jodhpur  and  Jaipur DISCOMs of Rajasthan State and the reasons for the same?

## A N S W E R

THE MINISTER OF POWER AND NEW & RENEWABLE ENERGY

(SHRI R.K. SINGH)

(a) & (b) : The average growth of energy requirement in the country for the year 2023-24  viz-a-viz  year  2022-23  has  been  estimated  as  4.9  %.  The  estimated growth of energy requirement for the State of Rajasthan during the year 2023-24 w.r.t. actual energy requirement during 2022-23 is 5%.

The months of April, 2023 and May, 2023 have been projected as high demand period. During the current year 2023-24, the peak demand is expected to be  around  229  GW  during  the  summer  period.  The  following  steps  have  been taken for meeting the increased demand for power:

- (i) Measures  have  been  taken  to  ensure  the  availability  of  the  generation capacity.  The  generators  have  been  directed  to  complete  the  maintenance work  of  their  plants  well  before  the  period  of  high  demand.  No  planned maintenance will be taken during the high demand period (say April & May, 2023).

……..2.

- (ii) Monitoring and Coordination with Ministries of Coal and Railways, on a regular basis, for increase in the production and dispatch of coal as much as possible.
- (iii) All Power Generators have been asked for timely import of required coal for blending purposes so that adequate coal stock is maintained in the plant.
- (iv) All captive coal blocks have been asked to maximize the coal production to supplement the coal supply from domestic coal companies (CIL and SCCL).
- (v)  Additional  arrangement  for  gas  for  running  gas  based  stations  has  been planned from GAIL, during high power demand months.
- (vi)  Imported  Coal  Based  (ICB)  plants  have  been  issued  statutory  directions  to stock coal and generate power during high demand period.

(c) & (d) : As  per  the  information  available  in  the  'Report  on  Performance  of State  Power  Utilities'  for  the  years  2018-19  to  2020-21  published  by  Power Finance  Corporation  (PFC)  Ltd.  on October,  2022,  payables  for  distribution utilities at the end of FY 2018-19 to FY 2020-21 is given at Annexure-I. The details of  the liabilities in respect of Ajmer, Jodhpur and Jaipur DISCOMs of Rajasthan State are given at Annexure-II. Some of the reasons leading to increasing liability on DISCOMs are higher AT&C Losses (which occur due to technical inefficiencies,  theft  and  other  factors  can  also  lead  to  significant  losses  for DISCOMS), Subsidies (many states in India provide subsidies on electricity tariffs, if not timely paid which if not timely paid can put additional financial pressure on DISCOMS) and unviable Tariffs (The tariffs charged by DISCOMS for electricity are sometimes lower than the cost of supplying it, leading to losses).

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ANNEXURE-I ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (c)  &  (d)  OF  UNSTARRED

QUESTION NO. 3835 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 23.03.2023 **************

The payables for distribution utilities at the end of FY 2018-19 to FY 2020-21

| National Level figures                        | As on    | As on    | As on    |
|-----------------------------------------------|----------|----------|----------|
| Payables for purchase of power (Rs. in crore) | 2,28,552 | 2,56,060 | 2,73,030 |
| Payables for purchase of power (Days)         | 148      | 164      | 176      |

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ANNEXURE-II

ANNEXURE  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (c)  &  (d)  OF  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3835 ANSWERED IN THE LOK SABHA ON 23.03.2023 **************

## Status of Dues of DISCOMs to be paid to suppliers* as on 17.03.2023

All figures in Rs. cr.

|   Sl. No. | State     | DISCOM                                      | Legacy dues of all suplliers, as on 17.03.2023 and converted to EMIs (as communicate d by DISCOMs)   | Legacy dues of all CPSU (Genco), as on 17.03.2023 and converted to EMIs (as communicate d by DISCOMs)   |   Overdues of all supplier as on 17.03.202 3 (as per PRAAPTI portal) | Overdues of all CPSU (Gencos) as on 17.03.2023 (as per PRAAPTI portal)   |
|-----------|-----------|---------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|         1 | Rajasthan | Ajmer Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd.              | 2,046                                                                                                | -                                                                                                       |                                                                  340 | 29                                                                       |
|         2 | Rajasthan | Jaipur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd.             | 4,892                                                                                                | -                                                                                                       |                                                                  782 | 24                                                                       |
|         3 | Rajasthan | Jodhpur Vidyut Vitran Nigam Ltd.            | 4,575                                                                                                | -                                                                                                       |                                                                  853 | 35                                                                       |
|         4 | Rajasthan | Rajasthan Discoms Power Procurem ent Centre | -                                                                                                    | -                                                                                                       |                                                                    0 | -                                                                        |

*Suppliers means Gencos, Transco & Traders.

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