Power employees on warpath over Anpara C privatisation

Lucknow, Nov 27 (UNI) Uttar Pradesh power employees and engineers continue to be on warpath demanding annulment of the privatisation of Anpara C project in Sonebhadra district of the state.

To draw the government's attention towards their long pending demand, Power Employees Joint Action Committee (JAC) today observed a fast at Shakti Bhawan here.

The committee leaders have warned of a prolonged movement and strike, if the privatisation of Anpara C was reversed.

Besides, the JAC also censured the terms of reference given to a committee instituted by the management to resolve the Anpara C privatisation issue.

The JAC alleges that the private partner Lanco Kundapalli had already violated some provisions in the agreement and the government should proactively rescind the privatisation contract.

The project has been lying in limbo for the last almost 10 years due to the controversy surrounding its privatisation.

Maintaining that it was not against private investment for building power units, the JAC demands that the project be handed over to Utpadan Nigam, so that the two units of Anpara C start functioning at the earliest.

''However, Anpara C is not a new project and is an extension of Anpara A and B and is situated in the same complex. Thus, it was wrong to hand it over to private hands,'' committee media convenor Shailendra Dubey said.

The project was awarded to the private Hyderabad-based power company Lanco Kundapalli -- promoted by the Vijaywada Congress MP.

Lanco Kundapalli group had outbid Reliance Energy and Essar Group for the 1,000-MW Anpara C thermal power project and it showcased as the first tariff based competitive bidding project, the power project has already major approvals included the coal linkage in place.

The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) for the project between the Lanco Anpara Power Pvt Ltd and UP Thermal Power Generation Corporation was signed on November 12, 2006 during the previous Mulayam Singh Yadav regime.

UNI