Kutch industries suffer GETCO delicensing on power underdrawal

At least 175 industrial units of Kutch district, which have been drawing power from extra high tension (EHT) lines of the Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation Limited (GETCO), are staring at closure, owing to a recent order passed by the discom.
"The industrial units have been drawing power from 66 kVA transmission stations of GETCO through the state load despatch centre (SLDC), located in Vadodara," Nimesh Phadke, Managing Director of Federation of Kutch Industries Associations (FOKIA) told PTI.
"However, the SLDC, in an order dated March 2, has cancelled the license of 175 industries to procure power at concessional rate over 'underdrawal' by them, stating that they need to consume at least 1 MW of power," he said.

FOKIA is an umbrella body of large, medium and small industries of the Kutch region, established in 2000.
The SLDC ordered the cancellation of license of Open Access of power, which has cast a shadow on the future of thousands of workers, Phadke said.
"FOKIA, in its letter dated March 5, has sought the intervention of Roopwant Singh, Secretary of Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), the state's regulatory body on power-related issues, and requested that the order be withdrawn," he said.

Citing financial losses, FOKIA, whose members are SLDC consumers, has contested the legality of the order, and termed it "arbitrary".

The industries have undergone a loss to the tune of Rs 135 crore till date, as they are compelled to keep operations going to meet their countrywide demand, he said.
"Some of the distribution licensees of GETCO and the SLDC have been flouting regulations of the GERC with regard to the grant of Short Term Open Access," he alleged.
Citing issues such as breakdown of machinery among other reasons, Phadke said it is unrealistic to expect constancy in power drawal by the consumers.
He said the GERC has put in place penalty under its Intra-State Open Access Regulations, 2011 to address such problems.

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Narayanasamy also announced that Industries Secretary Arun
Desai would go into the allegations of 'malpractices and corruption' in the government owned AFT mills here.
He also said that the same official would probe into the alleged malpractices in the Puducherry government sponsored Road Transport Corporation.
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Earlier, Narayanasamy told reporters that Congress
Vice-President Rahul Gandhi would visit the union territory during the birth centenary celebrations of late prime minister Indira Gandhi.
The chief minister, who visited the press gallery in the assembly, said he had a meeting with AICC General Secretary AICC Mukul Wasnik during his recent visit to Delhi.

Later while replying to demands for grants for various departments in the House, he said the press and visitors galleries were too small and steps would be taken to improve the situation.