Power sharing issues between the new States of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh could leave much rancour between the two sides in the days after bifurcation. A previous order by Energy Department, on which the power sharing could be based, threatens to be the bone of contention.
The said GO 53 in 2008 is related to making changes to the ‘Third Transfer Scheme’ effecting allocation of generating capacities to different discoms within the united Andhra Pradesh.
Accordingly, the APCPDCL, APSPDCL, APNPDCL, and APEPDCL have been given shares of 46.06 per cent, 22.27 per cent, 15.87 per cent and 15.8 per cent, respectively, in the ‘allocated shares’ of capacities of all generating stations in the State.
With Anantapur and Kurnool removed from the central discom, the allocation for Telangana could come down proportionately to 54 per cent, as represented by the CPDCL to the committee designated for power allocation. If power sharing guidelines are based on this order, Telangana could get 8,300 MW of the total installed capacity of the erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.
“Considering that the actual generation is far below the installed capacity, the share of Telangana comes down to 4,500 to 5,500 MW, which is still more or less sufficient for the State’s needs as of now,” says the Coordinator of the Telangana Electricity Employees Joint Action Committee, K. Raghu.
This allocation, however, hinges on the bonhomie between the two new States. But, as of now, indications are bleak in that direction. For one, the Convenor of the Samaikyandhra Vidyut Employees JAC, APCPDCL, M. Surendra raises many objections.
“The allocations were made way back in 2008, and do not reflect the consumption patterns now. To arrive at the share of Anantapur and Kurnool, they have taken five-year average as the norm, which cannot be justified. Consumption of both districts has grown by 23 per cent over five years,” he says.
The five-year average consumption too has its own pitfalls, due to the tedious load reliefs implemented across the State except GHMC, he says.
Objecting to the very concept of sharing power, he says such arrangement has no precedent whatsoever. “When Chhattisgarh was formed, it got all the generating capacity and Madhya Pradesh was dry. The latter went to court which redirected the issue to the Energy Department. That be the precedent, Seemandhra certainly stands to gain if NDA comes to power,” Mr. Surendra says.
Mr. Raghu contradicts this saying Seemandhra will only stand to lose if it bats for the geographical sovereignty of power plants.
“Private power projects of 2,500 MW capacity are based in Seemandhra now, hardly producing 200-300 MW of power. Fixed costs of those plants, along with the court cases involving thousands of crores of rupees will belong to residual Andhra Pardesh if geography is the basis of allocation. Further, high-cost power projects such as RTPP and Krishnapatnam are located in Seemandhra while the projects under construction in Telangana promise to produce cheaper power,” he points out.
