Governance
Reallocate power to states: AIPEE
DP CORRESPONDENT

Patiala

The All-India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has requested the Prime Minister to issue directions for reallocation of more power from the central sector power stations to Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and other states facing power shortages.

Shaliender Dubey, Secretary General of the AIPEF, has written a letter to Prime Minister alleging that all states of northern region except Delhi were

paying heavy penalty due to power shortage in lieu of unscheduled interchange (UI) charges and amazingly Delhi discoms were earning huge money through UI by surrendering surplus power.

According to official records of the last five years UP, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttarakhand were forced to overdraw from the grid due to shortage of power and, private discoms in Delhi were minting money by way of surrendering allocated power. It is very clear that discoms in Delhi had been allocated much more power as compared to other states.

The AIPEF has alleged that about 5000 MW additional power was allocated to Delhi in the name of Commonwealth Games (CWG). Even 2500 MW power has been allocated from Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) which is far away from Delhi. This move was apparently aimed at obliging private discoms of Delhi. Even after that Delhi was further allocated power from Jhajjar and Dadri Plants also in the name of CWG.

It is evident from UI account of northern states that in the last six years, UP has paid UI charges as high as Rs 5941.05 crore, Haryana paid Rs 4841.19 crore, Rajasthan paid Rs 3302.88 crore and Punjab paid Rs1949.41 crore. In contrast to this Delhi discoms earned Rs 4015.25 crore during the corresponding period by way of surrendering allocated power.

Padamjit Singh, Chairman of the AIPEF, said that in case of central sector power projects 85 per cent of the capacity is allocated on long term basis to the beneficiary states of the region. The balance 15 per cent capacity is the unallocated power which is given on seasonal basis to the states that are deficit in that season. Punjab, Haryana, UP have maximum shortage in summer and paddy season while the hill states have deficit in winter.

It is high time for the authorities to review the matter and power allocation as per set formula and not give undue benefits to big private industrial houses, Padamjit Singh added.