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Needled over persistent power crisis in Uttar Pradesh, chief minister Akhilesh Yadav has now written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking more electricity from the central pool.
Energy crisis, especially during summers, spills over as law and order problem in the state, while the opposition seizes the opportunity to attack the government.
Yadav’s letter alleged discrimination against UP in allocating power from central pool despite mammoth population base and burgeoning energy demand.
Under the Gadgil formula, the states are allocated power based on population, of which 85 per cent power is definite, while 15 per cent is supplied during emergencies.
Yadav said while Delhi’s population was less than half of UP, Delhi had been allocated 70 per cent of UP’s allocation of 5,788 Megawatt (Mw). Similarly, Maharashtra, whose population was also less than half of UP, had been allocated 6,396 Mw, which was more than UP’s share.
Yadav has suggested that factors as rise in demand, weather, irrigation needs etc should be considered for allocating power.
In another letter, the CM has urged for adequate coal supply for the state power plants, so that they operated at optimum level.
Anpara (1,630 Mw) and Pariccha (1,140 Mw) power plants account for 56 per cent of the power generation in UP. However, the coal being supplied to these plants is mixed with stones, which was posing problem for their operation. Anpara needs 27,000 tonnes of coal per day.
State power utility UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) gets power from state owned thermal and hydro electric plants, central sector, private sector plants, procurement from energy exchange, solar power, bilateral agreement between states, etc.
The demand-supply gap has been increasing every year, since capacity addition has not been able to keep pace with the rising demand.
Besides, transmission and distribution systems are in bad shape, which result in massive line losses. Then, there is rampant power theft, pilferage and under recoveries, which bleeds the respective discoms financially. UPPCL has been in the red with accumulated losses of Rs 25,000 crore.
Under the current 12th five-year Plan, UP aims additional generation of 16,000 Mw and increasing plant load factor (PLF) to 70 per cent, while reducing aggregate technical and commercial (AT&C) losses to 18 per cent.
At present, the total installed capacity in UP stands at 8,250 Mw, comprising public sector (both thermal and hydro) and private sector, which also includes 450 Mw thermal power generation by five Bajaj Hindusthan sugar mills.
