The country has been divided into five power regions and its western power region includes the States of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Daman/ Diu.
Notably, under the Electricity Act 2003, the concept of formation of regional power committees was evolved for better co-ordination amongst the various constituents of the grid like generation, transmission and distribution entities and finding solutions to the operational issues through mutual discussions so as to minimize litigations. Such regional power committee(s) is the highest forum of any power region and represented by the top officials of its constituents.
Presently, this high level empowered committee of the western region (WRPC) is headed by ICP Keshari, Principal Secretary (Energy) as Chairman and Manu Shrivastava, Managing Director, MPPMCl as Secretary.
The 27th TCC & WRPC meetings were hosted by NHDC ltd at Hotel Courtyard Marriott here on November 21 and 22. Nearly 80 delegates from its various constituents like NlDC, NTPC, Power Grid, WRlDC, CEA, CSPTCl, CSPDCl, GETCO, MGVCl, MPPGCl,MPPKVVCl, MSETCl, MSEGCl, Goa Electricity Department, DD & DNH, NPCIl, Torrent Power, APl, JSW Energy, RGPPl, JPl, TPC, ESSAR Power, KISPl, BEST (Distribution) and SlDCs etc participated.
The meeting arrived at amicable solutions to various operational and transmission issues, so as to ensure secure and safe operation of the Western Grid in particular and also the National Grid.
RST Sai, Chairman, NHDC, while addressing this committee meeting said that the NHDC ltd is a joint venture company wherein GoMP is having 49 per cent stake holding and presently engaged in the operation of 1000MW Indira Sagar Power Station and 520 MW Omkareshwar Power Station in the Narmada Basin. With a total installed capacity of 1520 MW, the NHDC ltd is the largest hydropower producer in the State of Madhya Pradesh and playing an important role in catering for the peak power demand of the State, besides being an important constituent of Western Region Power Committee as well.
So far both these generating stations have supplied the precious peak power to the tune of 35,000 MU to the sole beneficiary, the State of Madhya Pradesh at a very economical rate, which has contributed enormously to the industrial and economic growth of MP in the last one decade.
The two days’ meeting concluded with vote of thanks proposed by KM Singh, Chief Executive Director, NHDC. SK Taksande, Member Secretary, WRPC informed that the forthcoming 28th TCC/WRPC Meeting shall be held in February 2015, which will be hosted by Powergrid -WR at Udaipur.
The visit of Anthony DeSa, IAS, Chief Secretary, GoMP, and other senior bureaucrats of GoMP during the event was also noteworthy.