Pune: MSEDCL Cuts Maintenance Spending By ₹1,000 Crore, Power Outages Surge Across Maharashtra

Pune: MSEDCL Cuts Maintenance Spending By ₹1,000 Crore, Power Outages Surge Across Maharashtra

Pune: MSEDCL Cuts Maintenance Spending By ₹1,000 Crore, Power Outages Surge Across Maharashtra

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Pune, February 5, 2025: Mahavitaran’s reduction in maintenance and repair expenses by nearly ₹1,000 crore over the past two years has led to a significant rise in power outages across Maharashtra. The information came to light following Mahavitaran’s submission of its multi-year tariff proposal to the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC).

According to the proposal, Mahavitaran allocated only 13.6% of its operational budget for maintenance in 2022-23 and 15.5% in 2023-24, falling short of the 20% mandated by MERC. The commission specifies that any funds saved from underspending on maintenance cannot be redirected for other purposes, emphasizing that sufficient spending is crucial for uninterrupted power supply to consumers.

This shortfall has had a direct impact on power reliability. Data from Mahavitaran reveals a troubling increase in power outages: 71,885 incidents in August 2024 resulting in 47,138 hours without electricity; 96,528 incidents in September causing 57,392 hours of blackouts; and 1,07,088 incidents in October leading to 67,815 hours of power cuts.

Vivek Velankar, President of Sajag Nagrik Manch, Pune, criticized Mahavitaran for charging customers for maintenance through electricity bills but failing to allocate sufficient funds for necessary repairs. “Despite paying their bills, consumers are forced to endure prolonged blackouts due to Mahavitaran’s negligence and the regulatory commission’s silence,” Velankar stated. He also pointed out that Mahavitaran has not consistently updated outage data on its website, further reducing transparency.

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As power infrastructure continues to fail due to inadequate maintenance, frustrated consumers across the state are left in the dark, literally and figuratively, with little recourse against the ongoing issues.

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