LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Government, facing penal action from Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) for `grid indsicipline', will file a strong reply before it claiming that the State was not getting power from the Central sector as per quota.

The U.P. Government is likely to file its reply in a couple of days before matter comes up for hearing before the CERC on May 9 next, U.P. Power Coproration Limited (UPPCL) sources said here.

CERC had imposed a fine of Rs 15 lakh on UPPCL and Rs 1.5 lakh on its chairman for overdrawing power from Northern Grid, which has officially been described as `very unstable' due to excessive load. The action had come on a petition of Northern Region Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC), the regulatory body to monitor load position and withdrawal status from the grid.

Before that, the U.P. Government would find an opportunity today to put forward its point of view before the Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde who has convened a meeting of all the chief secretaries and power secretaries of Northern states to discuss the grim situation.

It is well known that during the last month, the Northern Grid responsible for feeding nine states-U.P., Rajasthan, Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Uttaranchal and Jammu and Kashmir, Uttaranchal and Himachal Pradesh was very vulnerable with its frequency hovering around 48 HZ, the threshold frequency below which it could collapse any time.

The UPPCL, which is normally authorised to import 2,300 MW power from the Central Sector -- owing to excessive demand in summers -- was withdrawing extra power up to 1,000 MW, although on higher rates, which was strongly opposed to by NRLDC. In the follow up of its warnings, the NRLDC filed a petition before the CERC alleging `grid indiscipline' by the UPPCL.

The CERC, subsequently, penalised the UPPCL and fixed May 9 as the date of hearing the petition.

In a likely strong reply, the government of U.P. would argue that it was not getting its share from the central sector as most of the units of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) remained shut during this period.

It would also plead that the demand in this State was more than any other State linked to the Northern Grid hence should be allowed to overdraw in a limit in larger interest of its people. - UNI

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