Power producer NTPC has announced that it will suspend
supply to power distribution company BSES starting midnight of February
13 for non-payment of dues.
The move will severely
impact supply of power in East, West and South Delhi. The NTPC had given
BSES until February 10 to pay its dues, failing which power supply
would be suspended.
The NTPC has alleged that BYPL
failed to replenish the Letter of Credit (LC) for the amount of
Rs.155.19 crore and that as per power purchase agreement in the event of
non-availability or shortfall in LC, the NTPC has the right to regulate
and sell BYPL’s allocation of power to other parties, sources in the
Power Department told The Hindu.
The BYPL
gets about 434 MW of power from the NTPC. The BRPL, which gets about 127
MW of power from the NTPC, too has failed to replenish the LC for the
amount of Rs.271.61 crore and has been issued the notice.
This
is not the first time that the NTPC has threatened to suspend supply to
Delhi discoms for non-payment of dues. A similar notice was issued in
December 2011. For their part, the discoms said they have apprised the
government of the situation and are making arrangements to meet the
demand.
“In the absence of a cost reflective tariff
over the past several years, the discoms are under financial stress with
accumulated recoverable revenue gap of around Rs.20,000 crore. In
addition, the NTPC allows Delhi discoms only a 30-day credit period
bringing extra pressure on our working capital. Incidentally, other
States are allowed a 60-day credit period by the same generator. We are
in discussions with the Delhi Government, the DERC [Delhi Electricity
Regulatory Commission] and the NTPC and are confident of getting the
matter resolved. BSES will ensure uninterrupted power supply for its
consumers in Delhi,” said a seniorBSES official.
with thanks : The Hindu : LINK
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