Delhi areas face 10-hour power cuts from Saturday

New Delhi  :  Close to one-and-half million homes in the capital face up to 10 hours of blackout from Saturday after the expiry of Friday’s deadline for discom BSES Yamuna (BYPL) to pay its dues to bulk power supplier NTPC.

Sources in state-run generator NTPC told IANS that it has informed BSYL that a power supply cut is imminent if payment is not made by Friday. The source said NTPC had decided not to extend any further credit to the company, as BYPL is requesting.

Discom BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) has written to the Delhi government that it is unable to make payments to power generation companies NTPC and NHPC owing to its “precarious cash flow situation”.

“We request the government to ensure that NTPC/NHPC continue to supply power, without any disruption or regulation, by extending at least 90 days credit to the company,” BYPL said.

Delhi’s daily power requirement is around 6,000 MW, of which 3,175 MW is supplied by NTPC.

Noting that it owes NTPC and NHPC Rs.204 crore, BYPL said the two companies have indicated they will regulate power to the discom, resulting in the reduction of over 500 MW power supply from February.

BYPL’s lack of resources means NTPC will encash the last remaining letter of credit of Rs.84 crore and the balance Rs.120 crore will remain unpaid to NTPC and NHPC.

Along with a request for extension of its credit period for payments by 90 days, BYPL has also requested the finance ministry to ask financial institutions to offer funds against its assets of over Rs.6,200 crore.

BYPL distributes power to the central and eastern parts of Delhi. BYPL, BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL) and Tata Power Delhi Distribution Ltd (TPDDL) distribute electricity to nearly five million homes in the state.

The private discoms operating in the city have a massive revenue gap of Rs.19,500 crore.

Meanwhile, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Friday warned the capital’s discoms to co-operate with the government, else their licences will be cancelled.

The companies are resisting Kejriwal’s move to get their accounts audited by the Comptroller and Auditor General of India.

“Once the Comptroller and Auditor General’s (CAG) audit report is out, the power companies have to co-operate in the examination of their accounts,” Kejriwal told the media.

“If they do not, then the government will not keep quiet. If needed, we will also cancel their licences,” he added.