Fraud involved in the award of gold shield to Yamuna Nagar Thermal - Medha Patekar
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Chandigarh: “A fraud has been committed in the award of gold shield medal to Yamuna Nagar Thermal Plant and that needs to be withdrawn” Medha Patekar has written in a letter to Manmohan Singh Prime Minister of India.

Medha Patekar in her letter, the copy of which is available with Punjab Newsline, has mentioned that Ministry of Power awarded the goldshield to Yamuna Nagar Thermal Plant of Haryana for early commissioning for the year 2008-2009.On the other hand Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission has passed adverse comments in its order of May 18 2009 regarding delayed commissioning of this thermal station. Further CAG in its audit report of 2008-09 has also indicted HPGCL for delayed commissioning resulting losses.

In view of above facts the award given for Yamuna Nagar Thermal Plant needs to be withdrawn.

Medha Patekar maintains that the information obtained under RTI shows that “HPGCL imposed a penalty of Rs. 204.46 crore on Reliance, EPC contractor for Yamuna Nagar for delayed commissioning of the units” RTI information further confirms that final take over of Yamuna Nagar thermal plant is still pending because “some demonstration tests are pending in respect of unit I & II which are to be completed by Rinfra before finalization of Final take over.”

As per information obtained under RTI the commercial operation of unit I was declared on April14 2008 and the performance guarantee test is claimed to have been carried on July 12 2008.

In case of unit II, date of commercial operation is June 24 2008 while PG test is claimed to have been carried out on August 12 2008. However, Haryana ElectricityRegulatory commission has not accepted these claimed dates of PG tests, and HERC in its order of May 18 2009 has stated “there is abnormal delay in completion of PG tests due to which the units have not been taken over by HPGCL so far.”

Since a RTI document of HPGCL has clearly admitted that due to pending/incomplete test, the station has not been finally taken over by HPGCL from EPC
Contractor and the penalty of Rs. 204.46 Cr. imposed by HPGCL for delayed commissioning of project the gold shield award of Ministry of Power for “early commissioning” of thermal station is clearly unjustified the award should be withdrawn.