Discoms’ aggregate loss rises 66% to Rs 50,281 cr in 2020-21: Report

Aggregate losses of power distribution utilities or discoms increased by 66 per cent to Rs 50,281 crore in 2020-21 as compared to the previous year, said a latest report.

The Report on Performance of Power Utilities in 2020-21’ prepared by Power Finance Corporation revealed that overall AT&C (aggregate technical & commercial) losses of discoms deteriorated from 20.73 per cent in 2019-20 to 22.32 per cent in 2020-21.

For 2020-21, the report covers 117 utilities comprising 68 discoms, 23 power generation utilities, 22 power transmission utilities and 4 power trading utilities.

Aggregate losses of discoms increased from Rs 30,203 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 50,281 crore in 2020-21, the report stated adding that aggregate losses on tariff subsidy received, excluding Regulatory Income and Revenue Grant under UDAY (discoms revival scheme) for loan takeover increased from Rs 63,949 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 88,500 crore in 2020-21.

Gross energy sold by distribution utilities was 10,24,309 MU in 2019-20 and 10,05,044 MU (Million Units) in 2020-21 registering a y-o-y decrease of 1.88%. Revenue from the sale of power including tariff subsidy billed decreased by 1.76% during the same period from Rs 6,43,881 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 6,32,543 crore in 2020-21.

“Tariff subsidy billed by distribution utilities increased from Rs 1,20,828 crore in 2019-20 to Rs 1,32,416 crore in 2020-21. As a percentage of total revenue, tariff subsidy billed by the utilities increased from 16.52 per cent in 2019-20 to 18.53 per cent in 2020-21,” said the report.

Tariff subsidy released by state governments as a percentage of tariff subsidy billed by distribution utilities decreased from 95.08% in 2019-20 to 84.54% in 2020-21.

Total borrowings by distribution utilities increased from Rs 5,05,246 crore as on March 31, 2020 to Rs 5,86,194 crore as on March 31, 2021. Overall AT&C losses for distribution utilities deteriorated from 20.73 per cent in 2019-20 to 22.32 per cent in 2020-21, said the report.