The Madras High Court on Tuesday directed Regional Load Despatch Centre (RLDC), Bangalore, to act upon a letter of a power trading company and restore 300 MW round-the-clock power supply to Tamil Nadu forthwith.
No further delay
The court made it clear there should be no further delay in restoring the supply.
Justice K.N. Basha passed the order on a contempt petition filed by the Chief Engineer, TNEB, against P.R. Raghuraman, General Manager, RLDC, and S.S. Rao, JSW Power Trading Company Ltd, New Delhi.
The TNEB entered into an agreement with the power trading company on December 30, 2009, for supply of 300 MW round-the-clock from January to May 2010 by way of inter-State transmission through open access system from the company located in Karnataka.
There was no difficulty in supply of electricity to Tamil Nadu till March. The company, by a letter dated April 5, informed the TNEB that Karnataka government had directed it to supply all exportable electricity generated to the Karnataka grid until further orders. Hence, it would not be able to supply power to TNEB.
The TNEB filed a petition before the Madras High Court, which, by an order dated April 7, granted an interim injunction restraining the RLDC and the power trading company from cancelling or curtailing the scheduling of 300 MW up to May. Tamil Nadu contended that the High Court order was sent through wire and was received by the respondents on April 8. In spite of knowing the order, the RLDC disconnected power supply to Tamil Nadu. The act amounted to wilful disobedience of the High Court's order.
Mr. Justice Basha said it was not known under what circumstances a writ petition was filed by the Karnataka government in the High Court there.
However, it was crystal clear that in spite of the Madras High Court order granting an interim injunction restraining the RLDC and the trading company from stopping supply, they had resorted to stop supply from April 8. However, the company had sent a letter to RLDC on April 12 to restore supply to TNEB.
Treating the contempt petition as closed, Mr. Justice Basha said he was of the considered view that it was suffice for him to direct the load despatch centre to act upon the trading company's letter of April 12 and restore supply of power forthwith.
