SEBs owe Rs 396 crore to Madhya Pradesh

Bhopal, July 28: Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Orissa and Rajasthan, having power sharing agreements with Madhya Pradesh, owed a total of Rs 396.59 crore to M P State Electricity Board by March last year, an official report said.

Uttar Pradesh SEB topped the list with dues totalling Rs 321.35 crore, followed by Orissa Rs 74.75 crore and Andhra Pradesh Rs 49 lakh. On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh owed Rs 66.15 crore to Rajasthan SEB, says MPSEB's 2004-05 annual report presented in the Assembly.

Since the formation of Chhattisgarh in November, 2000 after reorganisation of Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh was having power supplying arrangement with Chhattisgarh only. However, Andhra Pradesh was yet to settle Rs 49 lakh owed to Madhya Pradesh, the report said.

Since 1960, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan were having power sharing agreement with both states having equal share in three hydel stations-- Rana Pratap Sagar project (172 MW) and Jawahar Sagar project (99 MW)-- both located in Rajasthan and in the 115 MW Gandhi Sagar hydel project located in Madhya Pradesh.

Rajasthan has 40 per cent and MP 60 per cent share in the Satpura Thermal Station unit I having 312.5 MW installed capacity, Under the agreement between both states, such state overdrawing electricity over and above its share has to pay to other state at the rate of Badarpur thermal power plant rate plus 10 per cent. Both states share maintenance expenditure at the power sharing ratio.

After adjusting maintenance charge with the power dues, Madhya Pradesh owed Rs 66.15 crore to Rajasthan till March, 2005.

When Orissa was reeling under severe power crisis in 1985, Madhya Pradesh came to its rescue and continued to supply electricity between April, 1985 and September, 1994. Following tariff revision, Orissa has disputed payment of Rs 12.34 crore and its total dues stood at Rs 74.75 crore by March last year.

A petition was filed in Madhya Pradesh High Court in March 2002 for recovery of Rs 64 crore from Orissa as compensation for its failure to supply 5 MW electricity from Hirakund Hydel Power Station.

In the wake of the high court's interim order, the Chief Secretary of Orissa convened a meeting of MPSEB, Grid Corporation of Orissa, OHPC and Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board in December, 2004 to sort out difficulty in supplying 5 MW to MP and the state started getting 5 MW from February, 2005.

Meanwhile, Madhya Pradesh is not getting its full share of power from Rihand and Matatila hydel stations in Uttar Pradesh and has sought compensation from UP time to time. MP has 30 percent share in Rihand (250 MW) and one-third in Matatila(30 MW).

Since Uttar Pradesh SEB is supplying electricity to border areas in Chitakoot and Sitamau, the power charge is adjusted against dues owed to MPSEB. As Madhya Pradesh was not getting its due share from Rihand and Matatila stations, MP has sought compensation of Rs 59.80 crore for 2000-2002 period.

After adjustment of Rs 1.69 crore for power supply in Chitrakoot area, Uttar Pradesh still owed a total of Rs 219.38 crore to Madhya Pradesh till March last year. This include Rs 20.62 crore towards interest and disputed amount of Rs 30.13 crore.

Madhya Pradesh has 50 per cent share in the 45 MW Rajghat hydel station, which started generation in September, 1999. Since Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation and MP SEB had not yet entered into agreement for power supply or on the rate for overdrawal from Rajghat station located in Madhya Pradesh, the arrears due from both states could not be worked out.

According to a 1993 agreement, both states would equally share capital expenditure on Rajghat project. MP will bear the capital expenditure and UP's share will be treated as loan.

Uttar Pradesh owed Rs 96.97 crore towards Equated Monthly Instalment (EMI) from December 2002 to March 2003 and capital expenditure of Rs 5 crore in 2000-01, the report added.

UNI