Power restrictions lifted
Tribune News Service

Shimla, December 25
Coming as a major relief to industrial sector, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) has lifted ban imposed on industrial consumers since November.

The chairman of the HPSEB, R.K. Jain said that all peak load restrictions being applied between 6.30 p.m and 9.30 p.m would be lifted with immediate effect. The decision was taken at a high-level meeting of officials chaired by chief minister P.K. Dhumal here yesterday.

Jain said the position with regard to the annual power shortage during the winter months was comfortable with the 100 MW of power from the state’s unallocated quota beginning to flow since December 13. “All industrial consumers can now avail peak load exemption as the comfortable position with regard to power position was likely to continue this winter,”

Elaborating the details about the arrangements made to mitigate power shortage during winters he said 440 MU were being taken from Punjab, Haryana and Delhi under forward banking and about 300 MU under contra-banking arrangements with Punjab and Haryana. He added that the shortfall this winter was likely to be about 1,000 MU.

He said this year Himachal had ensured a unique arrangement by which 200 MW of power had been supplied round the clock to Punjab and Haryana on a return basis in the winter months of December and January.

Jain said besides this the chief minister had taken up the matter of unallocated quota of power available at the disposal of the Centre to the tune of 22 lakh units per day.