SRLDC mounts pressure on cash crunched DISOMS

Hyderabad: Mounting pressure on already cash crunched power distribution companies of the State, the Southern Regional Load Dispatch Centre has made it clear to the power generating stations to acquire letter of credit a day in advance.

In the instructions issued to the power generating stations, the Southern Regional Load Dispatch Centre said the generating stations must announce their power generation capacities a day in advance as per the LCs received. No changes should be made after that.

On the other hand, All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) has strongly opposed Ministry of Power order making it mandatory to open and maintain adequate letter of Credit (LC) as payment security mechanism under PPA by DISCOMs.

Speaking to the media, AIPEF chairman Shailendra Dubey, secretary general Prathnakar Rao and TSPEA secretary general P Sadanandam termed the order as anti-people and anti-consumer and has appealed to Union Power Minister RK Singh to withdraw the order immediately as it will not be practically feasible to implement this mechanism from within two days i.e. from August 1.

They said the DISCOMs will not have access to procure electricity even from the power exchange, if they have not opened the adequate LC.

The order further says that in case where dispatch of power by generating companies is not done due to non-opening of LC, the DISCOMs are liable to pay compensation to the generator as per the PPA terms and conditions which would adversely affect the financial position of DISCOMS.

The AIPEF office bearers said due to this unscheduled load shedding would take place and massive power cuts would be imposed for the common consumers, particularly to Agricultural sector.