Averting a major supply disruption for 28 lakh consumers in the city,power distribution company BSES today said it will clear state-run NTPC's outstanding dues related to power purchases by tomorrow. Power generation major NTPC has slapped notices on two discoms - BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna - warning that power supply could be stopped by September 7 if the two entities fail to clear their combined dues of over Rs 900 crore. "The current dues of NTPC will be cleared by Monday,September 5,2011. This will ensure no power disruption for our 28 lakh customers," a BSES spokesperson said in a statement. "BSES stands committed to supplying uninterrupted quality power to our consumers and will make all efforts to ensure no inconvenience," it added. The two BSES companies account for over 70 per cent of electricity supply in Delhi,sources said. These entities get about 2,051 megawatts of power from NTPC. While BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) caters to West and South Delhi,BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) supplies electricity in East and central Delhi. Sources said that BSES last month received a bill of over Rs 450 crore from NTPC,related to earlier arrears. Since BSES is in a difficult financial position,the company had asked NTPC to allow it to pay the amount in installments. BSES has bank rpt bank debt of over Rs 7,000 crore,they added. "Both the companies have not cleared dues for the energy supplied during the month of July,2011. Out of total billing of Rs 814 crore,NTPC could realise only Rs 334 crore through the Letter of Credit. "Further,NTPC has supplied Rs 425 crore worth of electricity in the month of August,2011,and thereby total outstanding amounts to more than Rs 900 crore," NTPC sources had said on Friday. NTPC has served notices asking the two BSES entities to renew their Letter of Credit or supply could be suspended. Noting that the Letter of Credit (LC) is a prerequisite for power supply,NTPC sources said BSES Rajdhani Power Ltd (BRPL) and BSES Yamuna Power Ltd (BYPL) have refused to renew and maintain the LC despite "follow-ups at the highest level". According to the separate but similarly-worded notices served on BRPL and BYPL,NTPC has pointed out that if BRPL and BYPL do not renew and maintain the LCs,supply of power to the discoms would remain "suspended till December 1,2011". "Unless the issue is settled on a war-footing basis,licenced areas of BRPL and BYPL will see huge power cuts,with effect from September 7,2011," NTPC sources had said.
