A landmark decision

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s announcement to end “VIP culture” in the electricity bill payments of ministers and public servants is a landmark decision and a laudable initiative. A slew of measures announced by the Chief Minister are aimed at saving electricity in government offices and boosting solar power to decarbonise the power sector. Saving electricity by reducing its wastage in private residences, commercial places, business establishments, corporate entities, and private offices can complement the government’s move towards reducing demand for fossil-fuel-generated electricity and improving electricity distribution in areas where power availability is still erratic. Starting July 1, the Chief Minister, ministers, and public servants will be required to pay the electricity bill of their official quarters on their own. Until now, taxpayers’ money has been used to foot their electricity bills during their stay in government accommodation. Apart from saving a substantial amount of taxpayers’ money, the move will also result in a significant reduction in electricity waste. As there is no liability to pay the electricity bills, the wastage of electricity in government accommodation is also quite high. The state government’s drive to save electricity has got a technical boost with the installation of auto-stoppage of electricity supply past 8 p.m. in 8,000 government offices. This may require offices to replan their work schedule so that all necessary work for the day is completed before the auto-stoppage of electricity and not carried over to the next day. Long office hours into the night lead to an increase in electricity demand for government offices to keep the lights, fans, air conditioners, and other necessary electrical equipment on. The Chief Minister explained that the state’s own generation of electricity is only 420 megawatts, against the peak hour demand of 2500 megawatts. As the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited is required to purchase electricity at a higher tariff and supply electricity at a lower tariff to meet the shortfall, it incurs huge losses, the burden of which is ultimately passed on to the state government. Increasing the electricity tariff to make up for the losses is not pragmatic, as it increases the burden on consumers and renders commercial projects unviable. Consumers can take a cue from the measures announced by the state government to reduce electricity use at home and in commercial spaces owned by them by switching off lights, fans, and other electrical appliances when not required. Optimal utilisation of daylight hours, as far as possible, for household chores and business-related work can reduce peak hour demand at night. Designs of buildings and dwelling houses play a crucial role in the use of daylight hours, as buildings constructed ignoring this aspect will require switching on the lights even during the day. Besides, the application of modern engineering solutions in building construction that maximise the comfort of occupants can help cut down on electricity waste and reduce peak-hour demand for unproductive consumption. Reduced demand or unproductive consumption will facilitate the redistribution of electricity to areas and institutions that are getting fewer supplies than required. Adequate availability of electricity in production clusters and growth centres is essential, particularly for spurring industrial growth in a state like Assam. Erratic power supply and high tariffs pose a stumbling block for entrepreneurial growth, and often first-generation entrepreneurs are unable to run their industrial units at profit due to the loss of productive hours and the high cost of electricity. Industrial units remaining commercially viable are critical to generating employment and livelihood opportunities, as the agriculture sector in the state is stressed and cannot provide gainful employment or livelihood opportunities to a large section of rural youth. Industrial units for food processing and allied activities like modern dairy farming are an answer to the problem, but their sustainability is dependent on the availability of affordable power. Saving electricity to make it available at an affordable tariff for such industrial ventures should be a concern for all in the state who want the state to make rapid progress and address some burning problems like unemployment and lack of industrial growth. The state government’s push for solar power is a pragmatic response in this direction, but its success is dependent on the adoption of solar power for household consumption. The solar power project to meet the electricity demand of the state secretariat should encourage all government offices, educational institutions, and private residential owners to take pro-active measures for the installation of solar power projects on a massive scale in the state. Boosting solar power will also make electricity available at a much lower tariff and cut down on carbon emissions, which will go a long way in mitigating the impact of climate change. The message of ending power freebies for public servants, saving electricity by cutting waste, and promoting solar power use needs to percolate down to the grassroots level. People must become active stakeholders in the transition to renewable and affordable electricity generation and judicious utilisation.