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Discoms to be penalised for ‘gratuitous’ outages after 2019

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New Delhi, Dec 7 (IANS) In a bid to end the bane of power outages even at a time of surplus production, the government will bring in a law to penalise distribution companies in the event of their indulging in “gratuitous load shedding”, Power Minister R.K. Singh said on Thursday.

Briefing reporters during a break in the meeting with state Power Ministers here, Singh said such penalties are part of a roadmap being prepared by the government to fulfil its vision of providing uninterrupted electricity for all.

“In line with the government’s vision of providing 24X7 power for all by March 2019, a roadmap has been laid out.

“We will make it a legal obligation that if after 2019 there is any gratutious load shedding, that is not caused by acts of god or technical issues, the discom will be penalised,” he said.

The Union Minister said that the ethical obligation of the discom as the sole license holder to provide uninterrupted power would now be made into an enforceable service obligation by introducing in the Electricity Act, 2003, such a penalty for outages without good reason.

To gear up to meet the demand of uninterrupted power for all, the system needs to be strengthened on all sides, he said.

Singh said that changes were being proposed to the Act to remove human interface in billing, metering and collections by introducing prepaid systems that would help poor consumers and smart metering, as well as cap the permissible limit for factoring in discom losses in the tariff policy.

“There will be no system of manual meter reading. We will do away with human interface and the consumer will pay via mobile for as much power that he can afford.

“Besides, it will be mandated that discoms cannot pass on the billing losses to consumers. We are discussing with the regulators that after 2019, the percentage of loss permissible to be accounted for in the tariff cannot exceed 15 per cent,” he added.

On the question of subsidies, it has been decided to do away “with the current huge number of slabs and reduce it to around 15.”

“Cross subsidies in the tariff policy will be phased out gradually bring it down to 20 per cent in the first phase,” the Minister said, adding that power must be made available to industry at a reasonable cost to ensure the success of the ‘Make in India’ programme.

–IANS
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Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok

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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.

The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.

Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.

Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.

For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.

During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.

Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.

Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .

Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.

In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.

In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.

He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.

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