Tools for Building Capacities of
CSOs in electricity reforms in
Rajasthan
A CUTS initiative
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Background
• Infrastructure/utility network is the backbone of economic
development.
• The utility sector being key infrastructure, the availability of quality
service in the required quantity would be one of the important
determinants for the success of India’s recently introduced highgrowth oriented economic policy.
• Given the capital intensity of the infrastructure sector and the poor
financial condition of a number of utility providers, steps towards the
infrastructure reform taken by the government was right on time.
• When the government started the process of allowing private sector
to play its role in some of the key infrastructure industry, the sole
objective it had in mind was getting money from wherever it is
available and under any condition that it is available.
• This was so, since most of the state run utility providers were in ‘red’.
• The reforms were introduced in Rajasthan in year 2000.
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Why CUTS
• No institutional mechanism in place to represent the consumers
at large and their concerns, in organised and professional
manner.
• Particularly the case for rural and agriculture consumers.
• Not enough advocacy efforts from consumers and they were not
aware of their rights and responsibilities.
• A clear communication gap and a feeling of mistrust between
the consumers and service providers, since no provision for
multi-stakeholder dialogue existed.
• Consumers had the mistrust
• A state level workshop on 27-28 September 2000, the year, when
the reform process started in the state as well.
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Objectives
The immediate objectives of the initiative was to:
• Sensitise utility providers and regulators to the cause of
consumers.
• Sensitise consumers about their obligations towards the
utility providers.
• Mobilise community participation in the reform
process
• Enhance the capacities of institutions and consumer
organisations.
• Catalyse the establishment of independent regulatory
frameworks in the utility sectors to improve their
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efficiency.
The long-run objectives of the
initiation:
• Achieve better and cogent economic
reforms and liberalisation in India.
• Improvement in the allocation of
resources, facilitating more availability of
resources.
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Tools emerged out
To take the initiative forward, the following tools
were adopted:
• Representation, Advocacy and Lobbying
• Networking
• Training
• Research
• Information Dissemination & Outreach
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Representation, Advocacy and
Lobbying
• As part of this tool, the major achievement was to become an active
member of the newly formed Electricity Regulatory Commission.
• Other then this, CUTS submitted views on draft electricty bill, draft
licensing regulations of Karnataka, representation to the RERC
• As member of the Advisory Committee of the Rajasthan Electricity
Regulatory Tariff hike proposal submitted by the three distribution
companies and Transmission company.
• Getting consumer charter completed, important role in setting up of
Grievance Redressal Mechanism at the grassroots and a code of standards
of supply, creating political consensus and involvement of people’s
representatives in the reform movement, appearing before before the
Parliamentary Standing Committee for giving comments
• Submitted views on Electricity Bills 2003, commenting on Draft Terms and
Conditions for Tariff released by the Central Electricity Regulatory
Commission and draft ‘Open Access’ regulation.
• Apart from this, CUTS staff also participated and represented the
organisation at several forums to present CUTS views on power reforms.
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Networking
• Networking with consumer activists and consumer
organisation at the block,
• district and village level of Rajasthan
• Networking with consumer activists/organisations in
other states
• Networking with past and present regulators,
researchers & specialists
• Networking with public representatives through
Vidhayak Samvaad.
• Creating a People’s Movement
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Training
• Prior to organising the first programme in September 2000,
CUTS had organised one more programme in July 1998 on
citizens charter for the erstwhile RSEB for ensuring better
governance.
• Programmes were conducted in three phases and the third phase
in particular focussed on Feeder Renovation, which is the part of
the ongoing reforms.
• CUTS also organised newly developed Vidhyut Sudhar Samiti
Meeting Series at 45 villages in three divisions of Rajasthan.
• To carry the work forward as the grassroot intervention,
organised village meetings (Chaupal Bhaitaks) Series in 45 villages
• Organised public hearings in the selected districts bringing the
service provide and the common at a common platform.
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Research
• Grass root surveys were done among the
consumers of different categories
• Analyses of the power supply logbook
maintained in a few blocks under Ajmer
Distribution Company Limited were also
done.
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Information Dissemination &
Outreach
• CUTS have been making efforts to disseminate
various information related to developments in
the reform process and the performance of
utilities and the regulator through various
publications in vernacular, which are in the form
of newsletters, briefing papers, monographs,
reports and press releases.
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Achievements so far
• The programme resulted into several pro-people
changes in the electricity policy and regulation
and consumer participation was increased
substantially. Following are few specific
mentions of success parameters for the
programme, separately at policy and grassroots
level:
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At the Policy level
• As result of consistent advocacy campaign, the Ministry of
Power, Government of India has recognised ‘Sensitising the
Consumers’ as one of the strategic action-point into its sixpoint blueprint to reform the electricity distribution.
• The Regulatory Commission has released guidelines to all
three Distribution Companies to resolve the consumer
complains in time bound manner and report back on
periodic basis and has implemented service standards.
• The regulatory commission has nominated CUTS to the
Commission’s Advisory Committee to represent the
genuine consumer concerns more effectively.
• A greater institutional space exists for consumer movement
in electricity reform process.
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At the Consumers’ end
• Consumers at grassroots finding it extremely unusual to observe
that senior officials of distribution companies coming out in
public and have face-to-face through programme.
• These organisations are working to mould the society’s opinion
against mal practices such as electricity theft, wastage of energy
and so on in rural areas.
• These grassroots consumer organisations/activists are better
informed about the role of regulator and obligations of utilities
in terms of deliverables to common consumers.
• Jan-Sunvais (public-hearings) have achieved the goal of building a
constructive partnership between consumers and local utility
staff.
• The World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Programme-South Asia
[WSP-SA] has identified the ‘CUTS-FES Model’ as one of the
best practice in the entire country.
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Creating a People’s Movement
• As part of its ongoing programmes, CUTS has been
able to mobilise people’s movement in the power sector
reforms process. The Vidhyut Sudhar Samitis set up is
one example of people’s movement. One major
example, which is noteworthy to be quoted is that in a
bid to prevent or reduce thefts in villages, people who
have proper connections have appealed to their
neighbors who tap power from the main line to tap
power from their own line and have a system of sharing
of bills. Though in legal terms, this is also theft, but
still companies do not loose anything out of it.
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Creating a Grievance Redressal
Mechanism and a informal Code of
Standards at the Grassroots
• CUTS has helped to established “Vidhyut
Sudhar Samitis’ in over 45 villages all over
Rajasthan. The main function of these
committees is to act as a forum, which helps the
concerned villagers redress their grievances visà-vis power supply. CUTS has also enabled
these committees to come out with an informal
code of standards for power supply.
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Recommendations brought forward
in the last few year’s of interventions
• Taking power as a micro issue
• A repeated and extensive efforts to bring about the desired attitudinal
and behavioral changes among the masses, since the issue is
complex..
• To further strengthen the three-fold approach adopted into ‘CUTSFES Modal’ information flow & capacity building (top-to-bottom);
representation of consumer concerns & watchdog role (bottom-up);
and co-ordinating with utilities at different levels (horizontal reachout).
• Atleast one such competent organisation needs to be established at
each district
• Effective representation district/block level CSOs in regulatory
proceedings has to be enhanced in qualitative and quantitative terms.
• Publishing reader friendly informative documents on relevant issues
is must for supporting such initiatives.
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THANK YOU
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