A quarter before deadline, AT&C losses far higher than UDAY target

Even as the March-end 2019 deadline for meeting the operational targets set under the Ujwal Discom Assurance Yojana (UDAY) is approaching, the aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses —electricity units lost on account of pilferage — of the 27 electricity distribution companies (discoms) in 26 states and UTs remained as high as 21.1% at the end of December 2018, down only 0.4 percentage point from the level recorded a year earlier.

This loss is targeted to be restricted to 15% or below by the end of March 2019.

Uttar Pradesh (31.24%), Bihar (38.9%), Jharkhand (36.1%) and Chhattisgarh (29.9) continue to remain the biggest laggards in terms of AT&C loss reduction plans.

AT&C loss of one percentage point translates to financial under-recovery of about `4,000 crore on a pan-India basis. About 52% of the total households connected under the Saubhagya electrification scheme are in these states, with Uttar Pradesh and Bihar being the largest beneficiaries.