EnergyOnline.com News

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New Delhi Electricity Distribution Now Private

7/3/2002

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LCG, July 3, 2002--This week, two private companies took over responsibility for the distribution of electricity in the Indian capital, New Delhi, from the state-owned State Electricity Board.

New Delhi Power Minister Ajit Maken said that with Bombay Suburban Electricity Supply and Tata Power having been put in charge, "Consumers will gradually feel the difference."

The State Electricity Board reportedly lost 12 billion rupees ($250 million) over the past year because of power theft and transmission losses. While 2.6 million people out of the 10 million residents of New Delhi were customers of the utility, many did not pay for electricity, often taking power directly from overhead lines by informal means. Over one million meters are inoperable.

Tata Power's Firdose Vandrevala said, "Frequents power cuts will soon be history in the Indian capital." About one-quarter of power generated by the State Electricity Board is routinely lost through transmission and distribution.
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