About ₹798 crores of electricity is due from the Energy Department for quite some time. The company is going through a financial crisis. The Central Coal Field has given an ultimatum to close the coal supply for non-payment of dues.
Patna, August 14: Along the commissioning of the second unit of the Kanti thermal plant, power generation also started in the closed Barauni power plant on Wednesday. However, Motihari, Bettiah and Chapra are still in crisis. The power situation has become critical since Tuesday after flood water filled up DMPCL in Darbhanga. Being an emergency situation, the closed second unit of the Kanti Thermal was restarted. It is generating 80 MW, while the first unit of Kanti is generating 190 MW.
Production also started at the Barauni power house, which was closed earlier, generating 250 MW from Wednesday. It was told that after distributing 180 MW power to Darbhanga from Madhepura on Wednesday, the situation in Darbhanga, Madhubani, Samastipur, Begusarai, Shivhar, Sitamarhi, Muzaffarpur has become normal.
Zero mile and Uma Nagar trapped in feeder breakdown
Meanwhile, People had to face tremendous power problems in SKMCH, Ahiyapur area on Wednesday after being trapped in the breakdown of zero mile and Uma Nagar feeder. Flooding at Banadhara Power substation could not be started on Wednesday also. Power supply in Meenapur block has been disrupted for 10 days. “Power supply in this area is constantly interrupted. Due to floods, electricity was interrupted here for the third day in Sikandarpur, Karpoori Nagar, Muktidham, Chint Bhagwatipur area.
₹ 798 crores due on Kanti Thermal’s energy department, power crisis likely
In another development, because of dues amounting to ₹ 798 crore on Kanti Thermal’s energy department, Kanti Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited is going through a huge financial crisis. The situation has reached such a point that there is also a crisis on supply of coal for power generation. It is left with only a week long coal stock.
Meanwhile, the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) has given an ultimatum that the supply of coal will be stopped if the outstanding payment is not made. After this, Kanti Thermal Additional General Manager HR, Vinay Sharma has told DM Dr. Chandrashekhar Singh that the Energy Department has an outstanding due of ₹ 798 crores.
Production will be affected if supply of coal is stopped. Currently, three units of Kanti Thermal are operational. The fourth unit (195 MW) is not producing electricity due to technical reasons, due to which daily only 415 MW power is being produced. It has been reported that due to the financial crisis there is also difficulty in paying salaries of employees. Along with the DM, Kanti Vidyut Utpadan Nigam has written a letter to the Department of Energy asking them to expedite the payment of dues. If production is stalled due to coal shortage, it will not only affect Bihar but Assam and many other places also.
Problem also in the construction of ash dyke corridor
The company is also facing huge problems in building the ash dyke corridor. The transformer and wire got stolen from the construction site the previous day. The second transformer installation too is facing opposition from the locals.
23 rakes of coal supplied so far for this month
Kanti Thermal has been supplied with 23 racks of coal this month, amounting to 2 racks of coal supplied every day. 58 racks were supplied to Kanti Thermal last month, according to railway sources. Meanwhile, on the basis of personal request, CCL is giving an ultimatum for the payment of arrears continuously for the last 15 days, according to company officials.
₹80 crore dues outstanding of Central Coalfields Limited
About ₹80 crores of the CCL is outstanding on Kanti. Apart from this, the railways also has to be paid one crore rupees per rack that it delivers to Kanti. Often, three and four crores are reimbursed by the Department of Energy, according to company officials. Also, because of the payment of arrears from other states, power generation is still going on.
Chief executive officer of the power company Subrata Mandal confirmed the problem saying effort is on to sort it out. KBUNL is a wholly owned subsidiary of NTPC Limited, It owns and operates Muzaffarpur Thermal Power Station located at Kanti block of Muzaffarpur district in Bihar. Its installed capacity is 610M.
