The power utilities of Telangana were forced to resort to load shedding for the first time since December 2018, when 24x7 power supply to agriculture sector was launched for the first time in the country, as their efforts to purchase power in Indian Energy Exchange (IEE) were scuttled in the name of ₹147 crore dues to a solar power producer.
As a result, the utilities could not procure the energy required in tune with the anticipated demand a day in advance, as is the practice in the energy sector, on Saturday for Sunday in spite of clearing the dues an hour before the closing time for bidding. The power producer which was credited the amount online was supposed to withdraw its defaulter notice served on Telangana Discoms in the National Load Dispatch Centre immediately delayed its withdrawal till closing time for bidding.
“The withdrawal of the notice was delayed, in spite of our repeated phone calls, till 1.30 p.m. wilfully with an intention to create problems in Telangana’s supply of 24x7 quality energy to all categories of consumers as Telangana is the only State in the country now providing uninterrupted supply to all consumers”, Chairman and Managing Director of TS-Genco and TS-Transco D. Prabhakar Rao said.
