Himalaya Niti Abhiyan (HNA), a prominent environment protection non-governmental organisation, and former panchayati raj minister Jai Ram Thakur demanded an immediate release of white paper on shutting down of turbines during the peak generation time by the Regional Load Dispatch Centre (RLDC), State Load Dispatch Centre (SLDC), and the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC). The NGO and the former minister demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry into the Thalout incident.
Thakur was addressing mediapersons here on Saturday, while the NGO released a statement in this regard.
“We reject inquiry initiated by the state government that may hide facts just to save officials involved in the matter. For transparent and fair inquiry, it is important to handover the probe to CBI,” said Guman Singh, national coordinator of HNA and Thakur.
They said the role of SLDC, RLDC and the NLDC was doubtful and was given undue financial advantages to private power houses by allowing them to generate more electricity during peak generation time from May to September.
“The central government was yet to awake. Why the big private projects connected to RLDC are always exempted from shutdown to save power grids from collapse and blackout? The Thalout incident occurred because the SLDC and the NLDC forced shutdown on the Larji project and the operating staff released extra 250 cusecs of water,” noted Guman.
Guman added as per the guidelines of the Central Electricity Authority and Electricity Act, a power producer is allowed overloading of about 10%, but the SLDC allowed to outstep the limit to a few private power projects on Sunday, whereas the government-run Larji project was forced to cut down the power production from 138MW to 96 MW at 5.30pm, at 5.55pm 96 MW to 64 MW, at 6.40pm directions were given to further cut in production to up to 32MW despite demand of electricity. The matter definitely needed CBI inquiry, he added.
{{/usCountry}}Guman added as per the guidelines of the Central Electricity Authority and Electricity Act, a power producer is allowed overloading of about 10%, but the SLDC allowed to outstep the limit to a few private power projects on Sunday, whereas the government-run Larji project was forced to cut down the power production from 138MW to 96 MW at 5.30pm, at 5.55pm 96 MW to 64 MW, at 6.40pm directions were given to further cut in production to up to 32MW despite demand of electricity. The matter definitely needed CBI inquiry, he added.
{{/usCountry}}“It was a suspicious decision and seems that an energy mafia is running in the state that controls SLDC, RLDC and the NLDC. The matter has come partly under scanner as to why these agencies target only government-run power houses asking them to shut during the peak generation time,” noted Guman and Jai Ram.