Power cuts will come to haunt lakhs of consumers in trans-Yamuna areas much ahead of the actual summer months this year. Power discom BYPl has intimated Delhi Government that there would be power shortage to the tune of 10 hours per day from February 1 leading to

loadshedding in several parts of East, North East and Central Delhi. The Reliance-owned distribution company has made it clear to the Government and other concerned agencies that it no longer has the financial ability to fully repay the generating and transmission companies. “In the wake of non-payment for January dues, no surviving lCs, and no visibility on how the arrears will be cleared, NTPC and NHPC have indicated that they will regulate power to BYPl, resulting in depletion of over 500 MW power supply…. It unfortunately appears inevitable that there will be substantial load-shedding of up to 8 to 10 hours, possibly as early as from February 1, 2014 in our license area,” read the letter sent by BYPl to the Government apart from Delhi’s lieutenant-Governor. While the revenue gap for the BYPl stood at Rs2,855 crore until July last year, the same is expected to go up to Rs6,229 crore by the end of March this year. This announcement has come at a time when the Kejriwal-led Delhi Government is also yet to pay BYPl its subsidy due for the October-December quarter which amounts to Rs25 crore.

The discom is likely to have a power shortage of over 500 MW which will affect nearly 50 lakh consumers in areas like Mayur Vihar, Preet Vihar, laxmi Nagar, Old Delhi and Walled city areas. Taking cognisance of the letter, the power department has written a letter to the NTPC ltd seeking an extension for repayment of dues from 30 days to 90 days. “We have also written to the Power Finance Corporation limited for giving loan to the discom. Apart from this, we are looking into ways to find long term solutions to this issue,” informed a senior official from the power department.

Calling the current tariff order ‘non-reflective’, the discom also stated that it already receives regulated power supply up to 259 MW from gencos like Damodar Valley Corporation and SJVNl (Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam ltd). 

l-G likely to pass DDA budget for 2014-15 today

The lieutenant-Governor of Delhi, Najeeb Jung, is likely to pass Delhi Development Authority’s (DDA) Budget for the year 2014-15 on Friday. Estimated to be of nearly Rs6,000 crore, the Budget will have provision for EWS flats. Other features mentioned in the budget include the development of land and construction of houses, followed by allocations for infrastructure development, maintenance of parks, building community halls and multi-storey wedding venues, etc. Rehabilitation of the occupants of Kathputli Colony will also be taken up. Several other modifications under the Master Plan Delhi, 2021 will also we taken up in the meeting