Shillong March 30: The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (Neepco) has accused the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) of violating a power project agreement. Neepco said it would now sell power from the 291-MW Kathalguri gas-based project to West Bengal and other western states.
According to the agreement signed between the Assam government and Neepco, 49 per cent of the power generated by the Kathalguri project in Upper Assam was to be bought by the Assam government at Rs 2.25 paise per unit. However, the Assam government has fallen out with Neepco over the tariff and is now buying power from the eastern grid at a lower rate.
The Assam government has, on a few earlier occasions, asked Neepco to reconsider its tariff and wanted to negotiate so as to bring the rates down. But all negotiations have failed to bear fruit.
Assam has been under pressure from the Centre recently to clear the massive outstanding dues of Rs 900 crore to Neepco. A total of Rs 1,400 crore has to be paid to Neepco by different northeastern states.
Neepco director (technical) R.P. Sharma accused Assam of “not adhering” to the agreement. The Neepco official charged the Assam power board of resorting to tricks such as “artificial load shedding”.
“We cannot sell power at a reduced rate. The rate has been approved by the Centre. And, moreover, who will compensate us for the loss if power is sold to Assam at a lower rate?” Sharma asked.
He said Neepco has asked the ASEB to surrender its quota of 49 per cent, which had been decided upon when the agreement was signed.
Assam power minister Devanand Konwar, however, accused Neepco of adopting a discriminatory attitude towards the state by selling power at a cheaper rate to the West Bengal State Electricity Board (WBSEB).
Konwar, in a statement in the Assembly on March 11, had alleged that though Neepco generates power from water flowing through Assam, it has been selling electricity to WBSEB at a cheaper rate.
Konwar also refuted Neepco’s claim that ASEB owes Rs 900 crore to Neepco and clarified that under the securitisation scheme, the Reserve Bank of India agreed to issue bonds to free ASEB from its outstanding dues to different power suppliers, including Neepco.