Suryachakra Power Corporation Ltd. hits back
Port Blair, Mar 14: In reply to Electricity Department’s press note issued yesterday, which held Suryachakra Power Corporation Ltd. responsible for this power cut, the Suryachakra Power Co. Ltd. today hit back, putting blames back on the Electricity Department. However this blame game has failed to bring any comfort for general public and students of these Islands, who are having a horrible time these days due to long power cuts.
In a communication the SPCL today said that the company has not received the minimum required co-operation from Electricity Department in the earlier part of more than seven years. With such non co-operative attitude of Electricity Department there will be no meaning of public and private partnership of projects and IPP concept.
“As such we don’t see any wisdom in blaming our company by Electricity Department for neglecting the timely overhauling of the engines,” Mr. K Vijay Kumar, General Manger (Tech) of SPCL mentioned.
He further alleged that for the last more than 8 years SPCL have been supplying quality power to the Islanders without any interruption in spite of several difficulties faced by us due to its location.
“Even though the cost of generation by Electricity Department power housed works out to around Rs.17/- to 22/- per unit, our company is supplying the power @ Rs.9.00 per unit thus saving huge amounts to Electricity Department resulting in saving of more than Rs.100 Crores per year to the A & N Administration. Accordingly the A & N Administration has saved more than Rs.900 Crores in the last 9 years which is the biggest benefit to the A & N Administration. Also by supplying HSD oil to our power house by Electricity Department, the department is also being benefited to the tune of more than Rs.4.00 Crores every year in the last more than three years,” he added.
Electricity Department in its press note issued yesterday had alleged that even though the Administration is paying O & M charges of around Rs.35 to 40 Lakhs to every month to SPCL, they neglected to carry out the timely overhauling which became due in March 2010 and the current breakdown resulted.
Replying to this SPCL said that while paying the above amount to the company, the Electricity Department was withholding huge amounts by not paying fully on our tariff invoice from the commissioning of the plant i.e., April 2003 onwards without any genuine reason and the amount was getting mounted up every month which was sheer violation of the PPA conditions entered by Administration.
“After long persuasion the issue was resolved in 2006 and certain amount was paid and some more amounts are yet to be paid by them till date. Further due to non-finalization of completed project cost for more than 8 years the company is getting less tariff and accordingly huge arrears of amount has been accumulated to be paid by the Elect Dept to the tune of more than Rs.50.00 Crores. Due to the non-receipt of such huge amounts from ED the company is facing high financial constraints, even not having sufficient funds to meet the expenditure for taking up timely overhaul of the engines. As such the company has requested for settlement of long standing pending payment issues for the last 9 years and sanction of a loan of Rs.5.00 Crore which was requested by us as early as in the month of early August 2011 and again in November 2011 not as an extra payment but as a loan or advance against our huge withheld / receivable amount from Electricity Department to the tune of more than Rs.50.00 Crores to meet expenditure to carry out the overhaul of balance engines had been heeded by the department then itself,” Mr. Vijay Kumar added.
He added that this situation of breakdown of one engine and forcible shutdown of other engine as a precautionary measure could have been avoided, had the Electricity Department heeded to SPCL’s request for the above requested monetary help.
It seems that the blame game will continue in coming days too but the question is that whether the Administration and SPCL will be able to solve the power crisis. The Chief Secretary must order a thorough inquiry to find out the actual reason behind this conflict and fix responsibility in this case, so that this mistake is not repeated in future.
