Delhi utilities clear NTPC dues, easing power supply concerns

Delhi power distribution companies BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna today cleared about Rs 700 crore of dues to state-run NTPC, easing concerns of power supply disruptions in the areas they serve.
NTPC has received the payments and power supplies won't be curbed, a company official said.
The Supreme Court had said that NTPC, the country's largest electricity generator, can cut power supplies to the BSES utilities if they fail to pay their arrears by May end.
BSES Rajdhani and BSES Yamuna, the two power distribution arms of Reliance Infrastructure operating in joint ventures with the Delhi government, received loans from state-run lenders Power Finance Corporation and Rural Electrification Corporation to clear their outstanding dues, sources said.

Officials of BSES Yamuna and BSES Rajdhani declined to comment.
In March, the two companies had paid a part of their outstanding bills to NTPC.

Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had said that if the BSES utilities fail to pay by the end of May, NTPC would be entitled to snap power supplies to the distributors, according to reports.
NTPC had asked the two BSES utilities to make the payments and said that in the event of failure to do so, it would regulate supplies to them.
The present allocation of power to BSES Rajdhani from NTPC stations is 1,261 MW and for BSES Yamuna it is 811 MW.

BSES Rajdhani distributes power to more than 1.85 million customers in areas of south and west Delhi, including Alaknanda, Vasant Kunj, Saket, Nehru Place, Nizamuddin, Sarita Vihar, Hauz Khas, RK Puram, Janakpuri, Punjabi Bagh, Tagore Garden, Vikas Puri, Palam and Dwarka, according to its website.
BSES Yamuna has 1.35 million customers in central and east Delhi, including Chandni Chowk, Daryaganj, Paharganj, Shankar Road, Patel Nagar, Krishna Nagar, Laxmi Nagar, Mayur Vihar and Yamuna Vihar.