Discoms' aggregate loss rises 66% to Rs 50,281 cr in 2020-21, says report

PTI

New Delhi, October 14

Aggregate losses of power distribution utilities or discoms increased by 66 per cent to Rs 50,281 crore in 2020-21 as compared to the previous year, a report by state-run Power Finance Corporation said.

What it says

• For 2020-21, 'The Report on Performance of Power Utilities in 2020-21'covers 117 utilities comprising 68 discoms, 23 power generation utilities, 22 power transmission utilities and 4 power trading utilities
• Aggregate losses of discoms increased from Rs 30,203 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 50,281 crore in 2020-21

‘The Report on Performance of Power Utilities in 2020-21’ unveiled at state Power Ministers’ conference in Udaipur also stated that overall AT&C (aggregate technical & commercial) losses of discoms deteriorated from 20.73 per cent in 2019-20 to 22.32 per cent in 2020-21.

For 2020-21, the report covers 117 utilities comprising 68 discoms, 23 power generation utilities, 22 power transmission utilities and 4 power trading utilities.

Aggregate losses of discoms increased from Rs 30,203 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 50,281 crore in 2020-21, the report stated adding that aggregate losses on tariff subsidy received, excluding Regulatory Income and Revenue Grant under UDAY (discoms revival scheme) for loan takeover increased from Rs 63,949 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 88,500 crore in 2020-21.

The Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana (UDAY) was launched by the Centre in November 2015 for operational and financial turnaround of state- owned discoms. The scheme was aimed at reducing the interest burden, the cost of power, power losses in distribution sector, and improve operational efficiency of discoms.

The study also showed that the gross energy sold by discoms was 10,24,309 MU (million units) in 2019-20 and 10,05,044 MU in 2020-21 registering a year-on-year decrease of 1.88 per cent. Revenue from sale of power, including tariff subsidy billed, fell 1.76 per cent during the same period from Rs 6,43,881 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 6,32,543 crore in 2020-21.