In a bid to modernise power sector in the capital city, the Centre has granted Rs 179 crore under the Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP). The amount is in addition to the Rs 90 crore that was granted earlier, which means the city will get Rs 269 crore as aid from the Centre for the modernisation process.
As part of the programme, 130 transformers and 3,000 capacitors will be installed, which could help in resolving the issue of voltage shortage, Union Minister of State for Power K C Venugopal said.
He said that 11 KV lines will be laid underground along a 126-km stretch, which would help in avoiding security risks. Moreover, there will not be frequent power disruptions because of line breaks, he added. A 33 KV substation will also be installed in Thiruvananthapuram as part of the project.
The R-APDRP will be implemented in three phases - Part A, Part B and SCADA. In Part A, power transmission will be modernised and transmission loss and ways to reduce them will be taken up. Once the State Government utilises 100 per cent of the allotted amount, it would then automatically become a grant to the State Government, Venugopal said.
Renovation, modernisation and strengthening of transformers, underground cables and a data centre are included in Part B. In this, 50 per cent of the amount will be transformed into grant as per the implementation of the project. Establishment of IT-enabled customer service centres will be taken up in SCADA phase.
Venugopal said that the project was aimed at reducing losses in power transmission and distribution, redressing the complaints of the consumers at the earliest and renovation and restructuring of sub-stations/transformers. Online billing, reliable data collection, and adoption of information technology are among the other reforms that have been included among the things to be modernised, he added.
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