Saturday, December 31, 2011
Friday, December 30, 2011
CNG price hiked by Rs 1.75 in Delhi
Zeebiz Bureau
New Delhi: Indraprastha Gas Ltd on Friday hiked the price of Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) by Rs 1.75 per kg as rupee devaluation has pushed up input cost.
The new rates will be effective from midnight tonight. Price of CNG after this hike will be Rs 33.75 per kg in the National Capital.
"The revision in prices would result in increase of Rs 1.75 per kg in the consumer price of CNG in Delhi and Rs 2.00 per kg in the consumer price of CNG in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad," the company said in a press statement here.
The new consumer price in Delhi will be Rs 33.75 per kg, while it will be Rs 37.90 per kg in Noida, Greater Noida and Ghaziabad.
IGL had last raised CNG in Delhi by Rs 2 per kg to Rs 32 per kg from October 1.
with thanks : ZeeNews : link in the headline above for detailed news.
Thursday, December 29, 2011
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Tuesday, December 27, 2011
DISCOM's : What is going on ?
with thanks : Hindustan Times : 27th December, 2011
with Thanks : Hindustan Times : 13th December
Sunday, December 25, 2011
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Letter from Mr Rajiv Kakria
24-12-2011
To,
The Secretary,
DERC, Viniyamaki Bhawan, C-Block,
Malvya Nagar,
New Delhi.
Subject: Thanks to DERC for Awareness Campaign on Meter Installation and Common Neutral ....... but falling short of penalising DISCOMS for will full Unjust Profiteering
To,
The Secretary,
DERC, Viniyamaki Bhawan, C-Block,
Malvya Nagar,
New Delhi.
Subject: Thanks to DERC for Awareness Campaign on Meter Installation and Common Neutral ....... but falling short of penalising DISCOMS for will full Unjust Profiteering
Sir,
I wish to thank DERC for starting an awareness campaign on provisions regarding Safety Hazards/Meter Installation. We have made many written representations and have raised the issue of Fast Running Meters due to Residual Back Flow in Neutral, in various Public Hearings over the past Three years to the Hon'ble Commission.
It was a pleasant surprise to see large Ads. in leading Dailies today, explaining the various aspects. This addresses only one part of our request and is at best a partial safeguarding of consumer interest. We have been stating that due to Residual Back Flow in Neutral, consumers are being billed far in excess of power units consumed. DISCOMS have wilfully indulged in Unjust Profiteering and have made millions over the past three years, when Mechanical Meters were forcefully replaced.
We had demanded Field Tests and Field Surveys to be conduct by independent Institutes of repute and where ever improper Neutral was provided by Licensee, Punitive Penalties be imposed and consumers be compensated. This awareness campaign aims to encourage consumers towards Self Policing, akin to the lip service to discipline the Notorious Auto Rickshaw Walla who merrily goes about fleecing consumers regardless. In fact both DISCOMS and Auto Wallas shoud be booked under Criminal Provisions.
Awareness is no deterrent and there are no experts that the consumer can go to, to get the wiring checked for seperate Neutral upto the Metering Point. A local/ Licensed Electrical Contractor will not check the Electricity Pole if the Neutral of the consumer's meter is connected to the Neutral of another Consumers Meter.
The Onus of checking / Rectifying from the pole up to the Metering Point should be that of the Licensee, failing which penalties should be imposed as such over sight earns the Licensee unearned profits.
DISCOMS should go from house to house and satisfy each consumer and not on a formal request or complaint, as this should have been a part of the procedure while changing the meters. Consumers have suffered at the hands of the DISCOMS in these times of rising costs and Fast Meters have a greater impact on the honest consumer with Lower Power Usage .... ie a consumer making do with a Fan, ends up paying for the neighbours Air Conditioner's, whereas the DISCOM bills both and profits.
Thanking you again and requesting the Hon'ble DERC to look into the matter of Matching the Neutral to the Absolute Earth Potential for Stable Power. Consumers suffer huge losses when their Televisions, Computers, Home Appliances etc. breakdown due to sudden Spikes and Fluctuations. Consumers will also save the money they spend on Stabilizers.
Warm Regards,
sd/-
Rajiv Kakria
Chairman, E-Block, GK-I, RWA.
Friday, December 23, 2011
Letter from Mr Rajiv Kakria
23-12-2011
To,
The Secretary,
DERC, Viniyamaki Bhawan, C-Block,
Malvya Nagar,
New Delhi.
Sir,
I wish to draw the attention of DERC to the Newspaper reports that the Delhi Govt. is thinking of a Bailout package for the DISCOMS. This is being disguised as equity infusion equal to the Share Holding in the Company.
We wish to state that the crisis that DISCOMS are in, is of their own making as they did not put in the efforts to buy cheaper power nor did they maintain Financial Prudence in long term Power Purchase agreements nor did they set up their own generating plants as per PPP agreement amongst other reasons we have raised in DERC Public Hearings.
Today we read in various Newspaper Reports that DISCOMS have defaulted in their payments to NTPC etc and the banks are unwilling to lend them more money because of a poor track record.
We the Consumers have been regular in our Bill payments with DISCOMS being the Collection centres,then where has all the money collected gone. The Generators and The Bankers would not have been so harsh had the default been within manageable limits.
The above reasons do not instill confidence in the stakeholders and further infusion of money will only delay the inevitable at great loss to the exchequer. DERC is reminded that in the last Tariff Order it was announced that Competition will be brought in by introducing more DISCOMS to end Monopoly. DERC has yet to announce the Policy and the Governments Share/Capital Investment in the new DISCOMS has to be kept in mind.
The Government will have to infuse capital into the new DISCOMS equal to their share and will be hard pressed to raise funds at that time. The Government cannot put in all its eggs in one basket and leave the city open to Blackmail of a Blackout.
It is to be noted that such Bailout actions encourage others to follow suit. Just to remind the Hon'ble DERC a similar Bailout was announced by DDA for CWG Village flats. These private players were brought in to bring in Money, Effeciency and Cheaper Services, instead experience shows that these players actually came in without investing anything and set up shop on our land, out of our offices, with our money and make huge profits on Guaranteed returns (16%) on money raised from our Banks at 6% to 9% interest .......a clean profit of 7% to 10% without moving a finger ........ the less said of the Performance Standards the better.
The Consumer is still saddled with massive load shedding nor do we get stable power and the Inverters have become permanent fixtures. The Government has to stop investing in this Failed Concept of Private Public Partnership ......... Its time we think of Only Private or Only Government enterprises like in Telecom for greater Accountability.
Today we are getting the worst of both worlds ....... with the Private and Government both keen to protect each other and the consumer footing the Bill.
PLEASE STOP THIS BAILOUT ATTEMPT and PUSH FOR A SPEEDY CAG AUDIT.
Warm Regards,
sd/-
Rajiv Kakria
Chairman, E-Block GK-I, RWA
LOKPAL BILL : SOME HIGHLIGHTS : FOR THE ATTENTION OF SOCIETIES / AOP : REGISTERED OR NOT :
THE LOKPAL BILL, 2011
CHAPTER VI, Clause :
( f ) any person who is or has been a director, manager, secretary or other officer of every other society or association of persons or trust ( whether registered under any law for the time being in force or not ) wholly or partly financed or aided by the Government and the annual income of which exceeds such amount as the Central Government may by notification specify;
( f ) any person who is or has been a director, manager, secretary or other officer of every other society or association of persons or trust ( whether registered under any law for the time being in force or not ) wholly or partly financed or aided by the Government and the annual income of which exceeds such amount as the Central Government may by notification specify;
( g ) any person who is or has been a director, manager, secretary or other officer of every other society or association of persons or trust ( whether registered under any law for the time being in force or not ) in receipt of any donation from the public and the annual income of which exceeds such amount as the Central Government may by notification specify;
Provided that nothing in this section shall apply in relation to the Prime Minister, in whatever capacity he may be holding an office as a public functionary;
Provided further that any person referred to in this clause shall be deemed to be a public servant under clause ( c ) of section 2 of the Prevention of Corruption Act, 1988 and the provisions of that Act shall apply accordingly;
Provided also that nothing in clause ( e ) and ( f ) and this clause shall apply to any society or association of persons or trust constituted for religious purposes.
===============================================
It simply means that if you form a Society / AOP registered or not, with annual income to be notified by central govt., you will be deemed to be a Public servant under the Prevention of Corruption Act. But the Societies / AOP for religious purposes are not included in it ( But can not understand why Mr Arvind Kejriwal has referred in Media that all the religious societies / AOP of various Mandir, gurudwara, Church, Mosques are included under this section. Will read it again as E & O E ). Still going through the contents of The Lokpal Bill, 2011 & will revert soon with more details. with best regards.
B S Vohra
