New rates for power transfer

VADODARA, Feb 18: In a significant development, the Western Regional Electricity Board today standardised the electricity transfer rates ...

VADODARA, Feb 18: In a significant development, the Western Regional Electricity Board today standardised the electricity transfer rates to other regions.

Announcing this to Express Newsline, Gujarat Electricity Board Member (Technical) P C Patel said this would bring uniformity in the charges the western region levied to transfer power to the other regional boards.

The decision was taken at the WREB’s technical meeting, which was earlier inaugurated by P L Gajralvar of the Maharashtra State Electricity Board. It is attended by 50-odd representatives of the regional electricity board, the National Thermal Power Corporation and the National Power Corporation. Tomorrow, according to sources, the WREB board meeting will be held after the formal inauguration by Energy Minister Kaushik Patel.

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During the meeting, sources said the electricity boards of Gujarat, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh objected to the NTPC’s insistence on levying the stipulated charges though its Gandhar plant was producing only half its installed capacity because of the unavailability of gas. Though the NTPC has reportedly agreed to revise the rates for the current year, the boards are demanding a consideration for previous years as well.

To this, however, an NTPC representative said the charges were governed by the Central government. “The aggrieved parties will have to approach the Centre”, he added.

Patel said the Board had not agreed to the NTPC’s request for gas from the Gujarat Torrent Electricity Company, an independent power project. “Though the GTEC can operate on either gas or naphtha, the request could not be considered as the company has been set up only for Gujarat”, he added.

According to sources, the Madhya Pradesh Electricity Board was severely criticised. “On one hand MPEB overdraws power, on the other hand, its under-frequency relays do not function effectively”, MSEB and GEB representatives complained.

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Following the reprimands, an MPEB officer promised to ensure it did not overdraw power and that the underfrequency relays worked effectively.

The NTPC accepted the MPEB’s request to pay its dues of Rs 300 crore in installments and open a Letter of Credit.

The WREB promised to look into the complaints of Goa and Dadra-Nagar Haveli electricity boards that they were paying excessive wheeling charges to the western sector. Though these boards draw power from the central sector, the power is transferred from the western sector.