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`State should acquire JSPL power transmission lines`

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R Krishna Das Raipur
Last Updated : Jan 29 2013 | 12:59 AM IST

Following the order of Appellate Tribunal for Electricity to cancel the distribution licence granted to JSPL, the company had stopped power supply to the park on May 9.

The association was one of the parties, besides the state-run Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board, to challenge the distribution licence granted to JSPL by the Chhattisgarh State Electricity Regulatory Commission (CSERC) on November 29, 2005. The company had set up the park after sealing a pact with the Chhattisgarh government on October 23, 2002.

The JSPL laid the 40-km transmission lines to supply power to the park from its captive power plant located in its steel facility. While all the industrial activities in the 32 units set up in the park had come to a halt, more than 5,000 workers were also rendered jobless after power supply was stopped.

"In the larger interest of the units, workers, state and power board, the state government should immediately acquire the transmission lines laid by JSPL," Association General Secretary PN Singh said. The association had written an official letter to the chief minister in this regard, he added.

Under section 20 of the Electricity Act, 2003, there is a provision that board could take the transmission lines on lease, Singh said, adding that the state government could also acquire the lines.

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"Since it will take time for the board to set up infrastructure, taking the lines on lease or acquiring them is the only option to keep the 32 units running," he added.

The CSEB member for transmission and distribution, VK Jain, said: "The board is waiting for necessary instruction from the government besides consulting the legal experts to end the stalemate," he added.

Sources said that most of the industrialists were camping in New Delhi to file petition in the apex court urging to instruct the Chhattisgarh government to intervene in the matter and ensure power supply to the park.

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First Published: May 13 2008 | 12:00 AM IST

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