Power supply firms to be set up

Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam will cover 11 districts of Haryana, including Panchkula, Ambala, Yamunangar, Kurukshetra, Kaithal, Karnal, Panipat, Sonipat, Jhajjar, Rohtak and Jind. The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Ltd will supply power to Faridabad, Gurgaon, Narnaul, Rewari, Hisar, Fatehabad, Sirsa and Bhiwani districts. Both the distribution companies will be able to achieve a debt service coverage ratio above 1.3. They will buy power from the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam and will own the distribution system of 33 KVA and below. They will take licences from the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission HERC which will monitor their efficiency.

Tariff rates to be charged from consumers by distribution companies and from distribution companies by the HVPN will be decided by HERC. One of these company will remain wholly owned by the state government and another will later be made a joint venture company.

The cabinet also decided that the Haryana Housing Board will construct 58 Low Income group LIG houses at Hansi at an estimated cost of Rs 49.81 lakh. The cabinet gave its approval to stand a guarantee of the state government in favour of the Housing and Urban Development Corporation, New Delhi, for sanctioning a loan of Rs 40.60 lakh to the Haryana Housing Board for constructing these houses.