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BSNL To Use Solar Backup Technology in Remote Areas of Himachal
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s the nation got stumped by the Covid-19 pandemic, the internet is the only option we are left with, to connect the world virtually. However, some remote or far-flung areas of various states are still struggling with poor bandwidth or broadband signals. The same happened in the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh (HP) and the HP High Court has directed the government-owned BSNL to replace the outdated solar backup technology to redress the problem of inadequate bandwidth due to erratic electricity supply in far-flung areas of the state. BSNL (Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd.) provider of telecom services and network management from the erstwhile Central Government Departments of Telecom Services (DTS) and Telecom Operations
(DTO), is the largest & leading PSU providing a comprehensive range of telecom services in India. The court has ordered the BSNL to prepare a roadmap for installing the latest solar panels initially concerning 191 towers, which are situated in extremely backward areas of Himachal Pradesh, and thereafter get the same approved from the quarters concerned within one month from Monday and report compliance on the next date of hearing. This comes after a statement from a division bench of Justices Tarlok Singh Chauhan and Chander Bhusan Barowalia, that says, “We are informed by the officials of the BSNL that even though they have a solar backup but the same is based on outdated and obsolete technology using the lead-acid battery.” The bench stressed one of the major
reasons behind the poor bandwidth or broadband signal, that is the erratic supply of electricity in backward and far-flung areas of the state, more particularly the tribal areas. “In the given circumstances, we are of the considered view that old and outdated technology needs to be phased out gradually and the batteries need to be replaced with the latest technology in a phased manner,” ordered the bench of Justices. The matter has been extended till the next hearing on July 26, 2021. And the judges also found that the rates for laying cables in the state were probably the highest in the country at Rs. 1,600 per meter. Along with this, the Advocate General of Himachal Pradesh, Ad. Ashok Sharma has been granted four weeks to notify the court concerning this aspect.
KERC Rejects BCCL Plea, But Penalises KSEB For Tardy Billing
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n an order that should set a useful precedent for the law of limitation, as far as claims go, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission (KERC) has issued an order favouring Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEB Ltd), which had charged Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd, or the Times of India Group (BCCL) with HT IV – Commercial tariff. The commission has, however, quashed the arrears bill of Rs 32,40,602 that KSEB had calculated for the period since 2014, and asked KSEB Ltd to issue a new bill to collect the amount it is owed. The case started with BCCL submitting a petition in March this year, claiming that the 2014 Tariff Circular categorizes printing presses, including presses engaged in printing dailies as LT IV (A) Industrial
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and does not categorize them under HT Commercial or HT Industrial. Even while admitting that it only does prepress activities at its address, while actual printing is done at another media firm’s presses. The Mumbai-based media conglomerate requested the commission to grant it the applicability of the lower cost industrial tariff for its media services (pre-press activities) and to waive the retrospective demand charges slapped on it by KSEB Ltd. for the period between 2014 to 2020 after the state electricity board revised the tariff category for BCCL from ‘industrial’ to ‘commercial’ following its new agreement. The petitioner wished to be exempted from being considered a commercial consumer and instead be extended the benefits that an industrial consumer is entitled to, which have been
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effectual since August 2014. This would save the company Rs 32,40,602 in demand charges which were raised by KSEB Ltd. in April last year. KSEB Ltd submitted to the commission that the printing of the newspaper is not carried out at the media offices and is outsourced to a different press located at Mathrubhumi Printing & Publishing Co Ltd. Thus, offices in which ‘no printing activity’ has been carried out in the same premise, are not eligible for industrial tariff. After careful consideration of the facts of the case, the commission concluded that the tariff applicable to the petitioner consumer from the date of connection (December 2011) will be HT IV – Commercial and the tariff fixed by KSEB Ltd. in the new agreement will be considered correct and in order. BCCL and similar industries can raise their concern
regarding the tariff categorization, if any, during the tariff determination process for finalizing the tariff for the next 5 year control period (2022-2027), said KERC. The commission, however, quashed the arrear bill of Rs. 32,40,602 issued to BCCL and asked KSEB Ltd. to issue a new demand notice/ supplementary bill to the petitioner for collecting the arrear for the revision of tariff, limiting the prior period to two years from 02/2020, without any penal charges. BCCL should remit the revised amount within the next 30 days of issue of the demand without fail, said KERC. In ding this, the commission stuck to various rulings, including a Supreme Court judgement that limits such claims on arrears to a maximum of two years, to prevent misuse by firms sitting over their claims.
