Shimla: Recent digital and administrative reforms in the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEBL) have reduced electricity billing and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) support costs by nearly 46 percent, leading to savings of Rs 16.83 crore over three years.
Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu said the annual cost for billing and ERP support services has come down from Rs 12.29 crore to Rs 6.68 crore after the state government ended high-cost outsourcing practices and introduced competitive and transparent bidding. This has resulted in direct annual savings of around Rs 5.61 crore.
“The state government’s motive is clear. It is to change the system, not just to run it,” the Chief Minister said, adding that public money saved through these reforms would now be redirected towards the welfare of the people instead of being spent on inefficient legacy contracts.
Emphasising ease of living, Sukhu said the digitisation of HPSEBL was aimed at empowering nearly 29 lakh domestic and industrial consumers across Himachal Pradesh. He said governance is being taken to the doorsteps of citizens through online applications for new power connections, smart billing systems and prepaid services, reducing dependence on offices and paperwork.
The Chief Minister said HPSEBL has strengthened consumer services through end-to-end digitisation. Consumers can now apply online, pay bills digitally, register complaints and get faster grievance redressal. These steps, he said, have reduced delays and improved transparency in service delivery.
To improve the Board’s financial health, Sukhu said the state government is focusing on reducing Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT&C) losses, ensuring timely billing and collections through smart and prepaid meters, plugging revenue leakages and rationalising operational costs.
He added that better power purchase planning, rationalisation of expenditure and data-driven decision-making would further strengthen HPSEBL and help ensure uninterrupted and quality power supply across the state.
“Vyavastha Parivartan is about making institutions self-reliant and accountable,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the integration of Business Intelligence and AI-ready platforms is laying the foundation for a modern and self-sufficient Himachal Pradesh by 2027.
