Hyderabad: A joint venture company of NTPC on Tuesday threatened to stop or reduce 109 megawatt (MW) power supply to Telangana Transco for non-payment of its dues for the last four months — a move that could increase power shortage in the sweltering summer.
“In spite of our repeated follow ups, TS Transco has not paid the outstanding dues amounting to Rs 134 crore over the past four months. So we have served regulation notice to TS Transco on Tuesday,” said an official, who is not authorised to speak to the media.
NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Company Ltd is a joint venture of NTPC and TANGEDCO. According to rules framed by the Central government, NTPC JV has the right to shut-off or restrict power supply to defaulting entity from power station and sell the power to third party at the risk and cost of TS Transco.
The deadline for paying dues is April 26. D. Prabhakara Rao, chairman and managing director of TS Genco and Transco, however, ruled out any impact on the power supply situation in the state due to this. “Every month, we pay Rs 350 crore to NTPC. There may owe to an extent of few crores and it is a routine matter. Not only TS Transco, but all other transmission companies across India will try to clear the dues. However, we need not worry about power supply situation now as we are running in surplus. A Central government public sector agency (NTPC) cannot issue such threats unnecessarily,” Mr Rao added.
This month the power supply and demand position in Telangana has created another record. The peak demand in Telangana has hit 9,191 MW and is expected to touch 10,000 MW very soon.
NTPC JV has also slapped similar notices to Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Ltd (TANGEDCO), one of the joint venture partners, threatening stop 1,066 MW power supply as it owes Rs 1,156 crore as an outstanding due from November 2016.
The company has also written to Southern Regional Load Dispatch Centre to make necessary arrangements for the regulation or suspension of power supplied to the defaulting entities, if they don’t make payments before the deadline.
Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited, which owes Rs 30 crore, and Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Limited, which needs to pay Rs 21 crore, have also been served with the notice on Tuesday. The Karnataka government, the official said, has immediately made a part payment.
