As private power trading companies are turning their backs to UP Power Corporation limited (UPPCl) tenders for purchasing additional energy, there seems no end to power woes of consumers this summer.
Observing the poor financial status of the Corporation, Central agencies too predict prolonged crisis in UP through out the year. The recent tender, inviting proposals for purchase of 500 mega watt of energy from companies of northern region by the Corporation could
not be opened as only one company showed interest. Fearing that payment of energy price could be held back inordinately, most private companies remained indifferent to the tenders, said Corporation sources on Friday.
The sorces further claimed that the price of the energy purchased during the previous BSP regime stood at nearly Rs 20000 crore and the payment was still pending and the UPPCl has requested the state government for financial aid to pay off the dues.
last month too, the Power Corporation had invited proposals from power trading companies but it opened a can of worms with the vying companies putting forth various conditions for participating in the tender process.
The companies asked the Corporation to assure in writing that payments would be made within a week of the supply. Ahead of purchase, a few companies asked for advance payment following which the UPPCl was forced to seek instructions from UP Electricity Regulatory Commission (UPERC).
Currently the Power Corporation is somehow managing about 10500 Mw (including 3500-4000 Mw from central pool) from all sources while with the rise in temperature, the demand has reached around 14000 Mw. The UPPCl brass admitted that this gap of about 3500 Mw could not be plugged without buying additional power.
Meanwhile, the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has predicted that the demand for power in UP would rise to 15366 Mw during May and 15839 Mw in June thereby adding to the woes of the Corporation as availability will remain comparitively low.
On the other hand, the Northern Region Power Committee (NRPC) assessed that UP would be reeling under severe power crisis through out the year. In its communiqué, the committee said that even after purchase of limited additional power, a shortage of 2500-3000 Mw was likely to remain by end of year.