Merc Clubs Prayas, Hogade Suits

The Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) has clubbed together the petitions filed by Prayas (an NGO) and senior Janta Dal leader Pratap Hogade, which sought the copies of the power purchase agreements and other associated documents of the Dabhol Power Co, Patalganga and Bhadrawati power projects.

The two petitions have additionally provided the opportunity to test the effectiveness or otherwise of the Maharashtra Right to Information Act, 2000.

The MERC members on their part are keen to ensure that the much sought after transparency, since the act was passed by the state legislature, actually translates into a reality.

Chairman of MERC P Subramaniam, during the last hearing on the issue of DPC documents being made available to Prayas berated MSEB (Maharashtra State Electricity Board) for issuing conflicting statements in connection with the financing agreement for phase II of the project as also being unable to backup with legal reasoning how it could withhold the documents sought by Prayas.

He subsequently directed MSEB to issue all the documents related to DPC to the commission within a month, and granted two weeks time for the release of documents sought by Prayas.

A senior MERC official told Business Standard,