The current power crisis in Orissa, which was a power surplus state till a few months back, is the fallout of the lapses of the officials of the state energy department, according to the Anti Corruption Youth Forum (ACYF).
Power crisis apart, the forum has pointed out that the state government is set to lose around Rs 1,000 crore over the next five years due to the lackadaisical attitude in restoring the 400 KV Ib-Meramundali double circuit line of the Orissa Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL).
The forum demanded an investigation into the matter by an appropriate body and called for criminal proceedings against the errant officials.
The 400 KV Ib-Meramundali double circuit line was meant to transmit to Gridco the power generated by Sterlite Industries Limited (SIL) at its 2400 MW (4x600) power plant at Burkhamunda near Jharsuguda.
Pradeep Pandey, convenor, ACYF said, “According to the power purchase agreement signed between SIL and Gridco on August 20 this year, the independent power producer had agreed to make available the entire power generated from the first unit (600 MW) of its power plant to Orissa.”
As per this agreement, Orissa would have been able to draw 540 MW of power from SIL's power plant after deduction of the auxiliary consumption of the power producer from December this year had the Ib-Meramundali double circuit line been restored, he added.
In the absence of the 400 KV Ib-Meramundali double circuit line of OPTCL, SIL was compelled to approach Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) for allowing it to evacuate power through PGCIL's 400 KV Bisra-Raipur double circuit line.
Pandey pointed out that in the event of non restoration of the Ib-Meramundali double circuit line, Orissa was now bound to get its share of power from SIL through PGCIL's network by paying wheeling charges to the Central PSU.
If one takes into account the entire monetary loss to be incurred by OPTCL due to non-commissioning of the Ib-Meramundali double circuit line, the figure comes to Rs 1034.4 crore for a period of five years, he added. Pandey alleged that the Ib-Meramundali transmission line was in a bad shape due to rampant theft of tower materials and accessories to the tune of Rs 40 crore in the past five years.
