The Hindu : Central Electricity Authority ends `punishment' on State

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Feb 08, 2004

Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Central Electricity Authority ends `punishment' on State

By M. Malleswara Rao

Hyderabad, Feb. 7. The Central Electricity Authority has partially restored to Andhra Pradesh its share from the "unallocated" part (UP) of Central generation in Eastern region, ending a "punishment" imposed on the State with a total cut of its quota, and maintained increased allotment to Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry.

The CEA cut followed the State's sales to other grids, giving a mistaken impression that it enjoyed surplus. A redistribution of the 15 per cent UP, kept in the hands of CEA for helping deficit states, was made yesterday after a bitter fight by Andhra Pradesh marked by repeated letters to the Union Power Ministry by its Chief Minister. The reallocation gave 60 MW to Andhra withdrawing the same from Bihar, and kept the quotas for Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Pondicherry at 220 MW, 100 MW, 73 MW and 15 MW. The flow coming to South out of about 1,500 MW of UP presently available work out to MW 468 MW.

After receiving the 60 MW today, Andhra Pradesh is continuing efforts for 164.8 MW more for realising its full quota of 224.8 MW. The AP Transco transmisson director, G. Kesava Rao, is camping at Delhi to ventilate the State's grievance that it is being treated as surplus state and that its share is diverted "unjustly" to others. The original allotment made to Tamil Nadu and Karnataka was 132.4 MW each, and to Kerala and Pondicherry 122.5 MW and 12.5 MW.

The availability under UP rose and fell as and when the surplus states of the Eastern Grid like Bihar and Orissa surrendered or claimed their quotas. Of late, they claimed their shares for selling it to others at a higher price, reducing this portion to about 1,500 MW. The total cut which came as a punishment to Andhra Pradesh for no fault of its own, was by a "mistake" as officials say. Even while pleading deficit, the State sold power to Madhya Pradesh and the like after running Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar. These sales, recorded by the Regional Load Despath Centre, Bangalore, was viewed by the CEA as surplus, leading to the imposition of the cut. The cut was lifted yesterday when Transco officials explained that they had run the hydel units even with depleted reservoir levels to meet "irrigation compulsions" and that sales were made to earn for extra buying from others.

There is growing feeling among the southern states that what is due to them out of the UP needs to be hiked. Their allocation was restricted to around 600 MW due to non-availability of transmission lines but various lines exist now to receive even 2,000 MW, they contend.

Faced with shortage caused by a fall in hydel generation due to poor storages in Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar and increased load from agriculture sector on account of dry spells, Andhra Pradesh has sought 500 MW and 300 MW from Gridco of Orissa and Punjab, cheapest sources charging Rs 2.57 and Rs 2.10 per unit.

The Gridco responded positively and its power would have come to the State by now but for its insistence to take its supply from 1 am to 6 pm instead of only during peak period. The Transco is undecided on Punjab power as, the supply from this end utlimately costs more. Punjab power will suffer a 20 per cent transmission loss to cross three states before eaching Andhra, means cost escalation by as much.

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