NEW DELHI : Power and new and renewable energy minister Raj Kumar Singh on Tuesday said state electricity distribution companies (discoms) remain a challenge even as the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government is working on a new scheme to further reduce losses.
This comes at a time of a crisis in electricity discoms because of their poor financial health, which has resulted in delayed payment to generation utilities. The discoms owe Rs76,336 crore for the power bought from the generation companies (gencos) at the end of July, according to information available on the union power ministry’s PRAAPTI portal. This comprised Rs56,710 crore as the overdue amount.
Mint reported on 16 August that the union government was exploring a radical plan to help bring financial discipline to state discoms by limiting state governments’ borrowing.
