LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh power employees have again threatened to proceed on a lightning strike from tomorrow, if the representatives of the private power companies tried to enter Anpara C project in Sonebhadra district.

It was the second time this month that the power employees have called for a lightning strike over the issue. Earlier the strike was called from June 17, but later withdrawn following government decision to defer the visit of the representatives of the companies bidding for the project, at the last moment.

Representatives of three private power companies were scheduled to pay a two-day visit to Anpara from tomorrow to inspect the facilities available there.

Unconditional support by the state government employees and teachers to the unions of power employees opposing privatisation of Anpara C project was also one of the reasons that made the government postpone the visit on June 17. The state employees and teachers had also announced to go on a strike if the private power company representatives entered Anpara C premises.

Power Employees Joint Action Committee spokesperson Shailendra Dubey said here today that the employees would not compromise on privatisation of the Anpara C project. "We are watching the activities of the government on the Anpara C issue and are ready to go on a strike at any moment,'' he added.

Mr Dubey said 23 representatives of the Reliance Energy Company and 11 from the Essar Power Company would be reaching Varanasi this evening on their way to Anpara C. At present three out of the four companies have decided to send their representatives for the current visit, he added

Alleging that the government was solely interested in handing over the Anpara C unit to Reliance company, the joint forum claimed that there was no reason why the government should be interested in the privatisation of the unit. "We are not against Reliance power unit at Dadri, but oppose privatisation of the Anpara C plant, where 40 per cent facilities already exist, making it an attractive buy for Reliance,'' he added.

Representatives of four private power companies -- Reliance Energy Generation Limited, Mumbai, Lanco Kondapalli Power Pvt Company Hyderabad, AEC & Torrent Power Ltd, Ahmedabad and Essar Power Limited, Mumbai -- have bid for the Rs 1,000 crores Anpara `C' power station to generate 1,000 MW of power.

A global tender inviting bids from private companies for the 1,000 MW Anpara C was published by the state government in October 2004 on Build, Own, Operate and Maintain basis, while tenders for power distribution in Lucknow, Meerut, Varanasi, Lucknow and Kanpur were issued on November 1, 2004.

The decision was based on recommendations of the Energy Task Force and suggestions from international level rating companies, Ernst and Young and Price Water House Coopers. Eight private power companies of the country have submitted their Requests For Qualification (RFQ) for the Anpara C project which were being scrutinised by the consultancy firms. Later, four companies went for the Requisition for Proposal (RFP) for the mega power project.

Anpara C is the third phase of the Anpara Thermal Power Project in Sonebhadra with Anpara A having a generation capacity of 3x210 MW and Anpara B 2x500 MW. The Anpara C project, pending for over a decade now has already generated political heat in the state. Anpara A and B were commissioned in the early 1990s.

The previous BJP-BSP government had even invited Organisation for Economic Corporation and Funding to finance Anpara C as they had funded Anpara A and B, but nothing materialised. -- UNI

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