Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, GEB chairman Nalin Bhatt said the proposal of a special Act had been placed before the State government to ensure the Board's financial security. Of the total amount, he said, Rs 425.37 crores was due from high-tension consumers.

Board Member (Administration) S K Nanda said that in its recent report, Price Waterhouse, a private organisation, had emphasised that the Board needed to reduce transmission and distribution losses and recover outstanding amounts at the earliest.

Claiming that 40 per cent of the power supplied to Ahwa, Gondal, Godhra and Rander was stolen, Bhatt claimed that stringent actions taken recently against habitual offenders had fetched the Board an additional Rs 20 crore. The Board had been also filing police cases against the defaulters, he said, adding that plans were also afoot for action against bogus connection-holders.

On his recent meeting with WCL officers, Bhatt said the WCL had agreed in principle to supply `D' grade coal -- the GEB currently receives `E' and `F' grade coal -- after obtaining the formal approval of the Coal Ministry.

The Board had switched to South-Eastern Collieries in the earlier part of this decade after the WCL allegedly started supplying poor quality coal.

``Apart from the distance factor, there are less chances of coal theft on the route from Nagpur since it eliminates transport through Madhya Pradesh'', Nanda said, adding that the Board expected to save more than Rs 400 per metric tonne. The Ukai thermal power station requires more than 1,000 metric tonne coal every day.

Bhatt said every possible attempt would be made to represent issues pertaining to the railways by the SECL and the GEB.

Announcing that measures were being worked out to improve power generation, Bhatt said that if necessary, the GEB could approach Himachal Pradesh to get 100 MW of hydropower. Claiming that they were also trying to get power at a cheaper rate, the chairman said the 210 MW Gandhinagar station was in the completion states, while the 210 MW Wanakbori unit number seven was expected to go on-line before next summer. The Mangrol unit was expected to start in March 1999, he added.

Bhatt further said that the Board intended to revise its purchase policy to bring in transparency and uniformity. While claiming there was nothing wrong with the existing policy, he said the revision would better the administration.

A number of power-related issues is expected to be taken up at the 108th meeting of the Western Region Electricity Board in Mumbai tomorrow, where the GEB will be represented by Bhatt, Member (Finance) J S Rana and others.