IT majors including Mahindra Satyam, Siemens and Patni Computers
are in the race for selection as IT implementing agencies for the government's automation programme aimed at reforming the ailing power distribution sector in the country.
The initiative under Restructured-Accelerated Development
and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP) would result in the implementation of IT projects worth Rs 10,000 crore over the next three years.
The move seeks to generate baseline data to detect points of power losses (through theft and technical losses) more accurately so that corrective action could be taken. The government wants to put in place an IT backbone that supports reduction of aggregate technical and commercial loss (AT&C) in distribution to 15% in project areas from the existing 30%.
“We have received bids from over 50 IT companies for empanelment as IT implementing agencies (ITIA) under R-APDRP. We expect to finalise these bids by next week,” an official of Power Finance Corporation (PFC) told ET requesting anonymity. The power ministry has appointed PFC as the nodal agency for running R-APDRP.
