THE GOAN NETWORK
PANAJI
Tata Power Company Ltd has formally applied to the Joint Electricity Regulatory Commission (JERC) for a power distribution licence covering the entire State of Goa, a move that could end the Electricity Department’s monopoly and usher in privatisation of the sector.
An interim order issued by JERC in Gurugram on June 4 records Tata Power’s petition under Sections 14 and 15 of the Electricity Act, 2003, seeking a distribution licence for the whole State.
The Commission, however, noted deficiencies in compliance with Regulation 3.7 of its Transmission and Distribution Licensing Regulations, 2020, and granted the company two months (until August 4) to file a compliance affidavit.
Senior Tata Power official Manish M Dahake has already written to several village panchayats, including Cana Benaulim, seeking their consent as mandated by JERC.
The outreach to panchayats has left Goa Electricity Department (GED) officials flummoxed, as no notice has yet been formally served to them by the Commission.
Chief Electrical Engineer Stephen Fernandes was not available for comment but a senior engineer said the top leadership in the Department will oppose the move.
The engineer who spoke on condition of anonymity since he is not authorized to speak on the subject said that massive investments have been made over the last few years to upgrade the transmission and distribution infrastructure of the State and privatising it now would be a loss to the government.
It is also unclear, meanwhile, whether the State government has been formally informed or is aware of Tata's move through the JERC to obtain licence for power distribution here.
If approved by the JERC which would be preceded by a cumbersome process needing the State's consent through elaborate public hearings, Tata Power would operate as a licensed distribution company (discom) in Goa, effectively privatising electricity supply.
The GED is currently the sole licencee and would face direct competition or displacement.
For Goa's consumers and the general public, this could have significant implications, including new tariff structures, billing systems, and service protocols under a private operator.
Goa’s power distribution has since inception been handled by the Electricity department, with reforms and billing corrections including installation of smart meters, had triggered protests forcing the government to backtrack.
Tata Power meanwhile is a reputed company in both power production and distribution. It already operates distribution businesses in Delhi, Mumbai, Ajmer and Odisha, where it has introduced prepaid metering, digital billing and efficiency measures.
The JERC's interim order, meanwhile, asserts that Tata Power must first meet regulatory requirements before its application can be considered and listed the matter two months (August 4), giving the company a final opportunity to comply.
