Tata Power to manage power distribution in central Odisha from June 1

Tata Power on Monday said it has taken over the management of electricity distribution of five circles in Odisha, together constituting Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU) of the state.

The five circles consist of Bhubaneshwar, Cuttack, Puri, Paradip and Dhenkanal. As per order issued by the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) on May 28, 2020, Tata Power will hold 51% equity with management control and the state-owned GRIDCO will have the remaining 49% equity stake in the company, an official statement said.

Tata Power said its priority will be to improve reliability, reduce technical and commercial losses and offer quality customer service.

As per the agreement, the company will retain all the existing employees of CESU. Tata Power has received the license for 25 years. Spread over 30,000 Sq km, CESU has five electrical circles comprising of the areas of Bhubaneswar (Electrical Circle - I and II), Cuttack, Paradip and Dhenkanal with a population of over 1.4 crore and consumer base of 2.5 million.

Tata Power CEO and MD Praveer Sinha said, “Our tie up with CESU is a huge development for Tata Power. We are thankful to the Odisha Government and OERC for giving us this opportunity. We constantly strive to become the most preferred distribution company in the country. The success of our Delhi, Mumbai and Ajmer Distribution businesses are testament to this fact.”

With CESU, Tata Power aims to expand its consumer base to 5 million consumers from the present base of 2.5 million across Mumbai, Delhi and Ajmer. The average demand of CESU is around 1,300MW with the annual input energy of 8,400MUs (FY 2018).

“Tata Power endeavors to bring about a positive transformation in Odisha by deploying smart grid technologies to supply reliable and quality power. Our customer-centric approach aims to enhance all aspects of customer services with smooth and efficient power distribution operations.” said Tata Power President (T &D) Sanjay Banga.