Daily Post

PSERC petetioned on PSPCL issue

-
yogindrA mohan

Patiala

Gurnek Singh Brar, a retired superintending engineer of the Punjab State Electricity Board, has petitioned the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission (PSERC) seeking that an early date may be given after curtailing the time period for the Punjab

government and the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) , to file their replies in the matter of release of subsidy by Punjab government to the PSPCL.

The petitioner last week moved an application with the PSERC saying that the Commission vide Tariff Order of May 9, 2011, had stipulated advance monthly payment of Rs 394.08 crore per month against which the Punjab government was now making payment of Rs 282 crore per month.

He has stated in his application that the Punjab government had defaulted on two counts, making subsidy payment of lesser amount vis-a-vis PSERC order, and not making advance monthly payment as stipulated in the Commission order of May 9.He has stated in the petition that instead of complying with the commission order and making monthly advance payment of Rs 349.08 crore, the Punjab government paid only Rs 380 crore subsidy for April and May (Rs 190 crore each month), and failed to make the advance payment of Rs 349.08 crore for June, 2011, as no payment for subsidy

of June was received as on June 14, 2011.

As on July 29, 2011, the advance subsidy payment for August 2011 has not been received in PSPCL (in fact the second instalment of Rs 140 crore for July itself was pending, Brar added. He contended in his appliation that the Punjab government be

informed by the Commission that it has no jurisdiction to unilaterally change or amend the terms and conditions for subsidy payment as prescribed in the Commission order of May 9, 2011.

Brar said that with the current trend clearly available as per payment record of June and July, 2011 there is every likelihood that the same trend would continue for August and September also. The petitioner has stated that while the commission has fixed the next date of hearing as September 20, 2011, the continued trend of shortfall in subsidy payment and delay in subsidy payment (instead of advance mode), it would put PSPCL further into debt trap. He said that no jurisdiction to unilaterally change or amend the terms and conditions for subsidy payment as prescribed in the Commission order

of May 9.

Brar also requested that an early date may be given after curtailing the time period for the Punjab government and the PSPCL to file their replies. It may be recalled that the Punjab State Electricity Regulatory Commission had issued a notice to the Punjab government and the Punjab State Power Corporation and fixed September 20 as the date of hearing in a petition filed before the commission against the Punjab government for its failure to make advance payment of subsidy to the PSPCL as directed in the tariff order.