HT
PSEB OVERDRAWS RS 53-CR POWER
Bahadurjeet Singh
RUPNAGAR

: PSEB has overdrawn power worth Rs 53.61 crore in excess of schedule from the Northern Grid in just one week to keep power cuts in the state within limits.
According to energy accounts issued by the Northern Regional Power Committee, PSEB over- drew 850 lakh units of power at an average cost of Rs 6.31 per unit from March 15 to 21.
On March 18, the energy rate was maximum at Rs 7.83 per unit, followed by Rs 7.30 on March 17.

PSEB purchased the maxi- mum power of 172 lakh units worth 12 crore on March 16, followed by 144.7 lakh units on March 15 for Rs 9.78 crore.

A senior PSEB official said the power purchase route through overdrawal from the Grid showed poor planning.

Had there been proper plan- ning in advance, PSEB would have got cheaper power.

Haryana too has adopted this route and overdrawal of 700 lakh units of power worth Rs 41.54 crore was resorted.
Uttar Pradesh made power purchases worth Rs 29.44 crore during the same period of March 15 to 21.