Probe glare on Chandrapura unit
SUDHIR KUMAR MISHRA
The CTPS unit in Chandrapura

Ranchi, June 25: The Central Electricity Authority has launched a probe into the reasons behind the inordinate delay in commissioning units VII and VIII of the Chandrapura Thermal Power Station amid speculation that it was extremely unhappy with the functioning of DVC.

A team of experts from authority comprising thermal project monitoring director Mamchand, director (electrical) T.K. Saha and a senior official from the Union power ministry visited CTPS on Wednesday to take stock of the pending work at the two units.

The team also ascertained the reasons behind the accident at unit VII on May 7 when the generator rotor was damaged setting back the project by at least six months.

Before leaving for DVC’s Mejia project in Bankura district of Bengal, the experts are learnt to have expressed their displeasure over the sorry state of affairs at the Chandrapura station.

They are to submit their reports soon.

The CTPS units were to be commissioned in 2007. The DVC had even agreed to supply electricity to Delhi from these units from October 2007 onwards. But, as there has been little progress at the ground level, Delhi Discom has dragged the DVC to the court of Central Electricity Regulatory Commission.

According to sources, during their visit to CTPS the experts found out that that unit VIII had been shown as commissioned on paper. Unit VII, too, was run in violation of statutory provisions exposing a lack of coordination between the DVC management and BHEL.

“They came here to take stock of things. We helped them with whatever they asked for. Rest of the work is on as usual,” said CTPS engineer in chief Rameshwar Basuri.

DVC has convened a meeting of its board of directors on June 26 to take a few administrative decisions — promotions of officers, etc — and also discuss ways to improve productivity.

Sources said the management intended to engage private firms to improve power generation and nominate NGOs for community development programmes.

“We will put forth our views and talk of our requirements at the meeting. We have done our homework,” commented Jharkhand government energy department principal secretary N.N. Pandey, who is also a DVC board member.