Garhwal Post Bureau
DEHRADUN, 5 Jul: The 124th meeting of the Board of Directors of Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) was convened at Urja Bhawan here on Saturday under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary (CS) Anand Bardhan. The session witnessed comprehensive discussions on critical matters pertaining to power generation, transmission, and distribution projects across the state. During the meeting, the deliberations were also held on the achievements of the Energy Department and measures required to overcome ongoing challenges.
Bardhan emphasised the timely completion of all power sector projects and directed the Energy Department to prioritise efficient execution to ensure uninterrupted and affordable electricity supply to consumers. He also stressed on the necessity of inducting a technical expert into the Board of Directors to enhance understanding and evaluation of technical issues linked to various initiatives. Bardhan instructed that the latest tariff order issued by the Uttarakhand Electricity Regulatory Commission (UERC) be formally presented before the Board. He further called for the dissemination of updated details regarding the companies’ increased authorised capital to the government and directed that the Enterprise Resource Plan (ERP) system be fully operational by September 2025.
In view of energy access for all, Bardhan emphasised that solar-powered border villages in frontier districts should also be integrated into the grid-based electricity supply network. In a significant move to address voltage fluctuation concerns, the Board approved the installation of over 76,000 capacitor banks in transformers statewide. In addition, approval was granted for the establishment of a 100 MW Battery Energy Storage System (BESS) by the Uttarakhand Power Corporation, a step expected to support the broader integration of renewable energy sources into the state’s power grid.
To ensure financial prudence in funding power projects, the Chief Secretary advised that any decision concerning financial arrangements be made only after a thorough evaluation of competitive interest rates offered by different lending institutions. UPCL also presented a report highlighting notable improvements over the past three years, including a steady rise in revenue collection, enhanced consumer satisfaction rankings, and a reduction in Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses.
Among those who attended the meeting included Principal Secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram, Finance Secretary Dilip Jawalkar, Independent Directors BP Pandey and Parag Gupta, UPCL Managing Director Anil Kumar, PTCUL representative P C Dhyani, and UJVNL Managing Director Sandeep Singhal.
