Work 5 days a week to light up your home
The Vilasrao Deshmukh government is contemplating various measures including a compulsory five-day week for industries and reduced working hours for government employees in order to reduce electricity consumption.
By Girish Kuber, TNN |
MUMBAI: The Vilasrao Deshmukh government may do what former UK Prime Minister Edward Heath did to meet the oil crisis in 1973. The state government is contemplating various measures including a compulsory five-day week for industries and reduced working hours for government employees.
With the gap between electricity demand and supply spiralling to 7,000 mw, the state machinery is exploring every possible way to prune electricity consumption. One of the measures the state is contemplating is keeping industries closed for two days a week.
“The situation as of now is not as bad as it was in Europe during the oil crisis in 1973 when the UK had to introduce a three-day week,” said a state official.
The state energy minister Dilip Valse Patil on Monday undertook an exercise to talk to various industrial bodies in order to create consensus over the issue. “The deliberations will continue on Tuesday after which the decision will be announced,” official spokesperson said.
But it’s easier said than done, said another official from the energy department. “We charge more to industries, Rs 4 per unit and above. They cross-subsidise the cheaper power we provide to the farming community. If we enforce more holidays, we will lose precious revenue,” he said.
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Farmers pays Rs 700 and Rs 900 per year depending on the capacity of pumps they use irrespective of the actual units consumed. The state is also expected to make captive power set up mandatory for all new industries in the state.Another measure being planned is curtailing office hours of government employees. “The suggestion is to restructure office hours.
Start early or have staggered timings to lessen demand for electricity at a particular time,” said an official. Sanjay Ubale, secretary, general administration department, however, said it’s too early to talk about such things. “There are many suggestions floating around,” he quipped.
A leading private energy utility, in fact, has asked the state government to direct offices to operate on Sundays, and shift the weekly off to another day in the week. The government machinery obviously is averse to this. The load shedding may also affect Mumbai’s malls.
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“The government may seek the regulator’s nod to cut power supply to malls between 12 pm and 4 pm every day. “This is the time during which the power demand is at its peak. Denying power to malls can save sufficient energy,” said an official. The government thinks that rationing power to malls would also be a politically correct move since there is a growing view that Mumbai should also face load sheddingThere is clear understanding within the government that rural areas cannot take any more power cuts. “We are already having 16 to 18 hours of load shedding in villages. Now it’s urban Maharashtra’s turn to take the brunt,” the state power utility official stated.
The state power utility has asked the power regulator, MERC, seeking its nod to step up load shedding in cities. “By Tuesday the regulator’s directive is expected,” he said.
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