Delhi power situation thousand times better: SC

New Delhi, Nov 23 (IANS) The Supreme Court Friday brought down the curtain on a nearly 14−year−long hearing on a PIL on the power crisis in Delhi. It observed that power situation in Delhi has improved thousand times since it took up the matter.

The apex court bench of Justice D.K. Jain and Justice Madan B. Lokur observed that compared to the conditions in the national capital region, the power situation in Delhi is 1,000 times better.

“In the National Capital Region (NCR) conditions are so bad that things in Delhi are thousand times better,” Justice Jain observed recalling that power shut down in Mumbai was is never heard of.

The court also observed that the power distribution companies have done a good job and they deserve to be appreciated.

At this, amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar recalled the way the court had once described the transmission and distribution losses as theft and dacoity. He told the court that the figure of nearly 35 percent transmission and distribution loss has now come down to 10 percent which is accepted as normal T&D losses.

The court recalled that no house in one of the colonies supplied by the electric supply company had power meters.

At the outset of the hearing, amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar told the court that it had decided to dispose off the matter today (Friday) but told the court that there were a couple of issues that needed to be examined.

The amicus curiae told the court that the Delhi government has regularised a large number of unauthorisded colonies and this would lead to enhanced consumption of power. He said that it has to be seen whether that much power was available.

Ranjit Kumar said the Delhi government has decided to sell a part of its power during November to February and wondered whether additional power that would be consumed by the newly−regularised colonies was factored in the estimates given to the court.

At this, Justice Jain said there is no colony or even a jhuggi (hut) which does not have electricity in Delhi. He said people get power connection by hook or by crook.

Responding to a query from the bench, Ranjit Kumar told the court that the court proceedings into power crisis in Delhi started when a PIL was filed drawing the court’s attention to the death of a patient in the All India Institute of Medical Sciences on account of a power breakdown.

IANS 2012-11-23 18:58:03