Bhubaneswar Centre nod for R-APDRP
assistance for CESU
TUESDAY,
30 OCTOBER 2012 23:18
PNS
| BHUBANESWAR
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The Union Ministry
of Power seems to have agreed to extend financial assistance under the
Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reform Programme (R-APDRP) to
the Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU) of Odisha through the State
Government.
In a letter to Balangir BJD MP Kalikesh Narayan Singh Deo, the
Union Minister for Power has written, “In the States, where distribution
functions are being performed by power departments, R-APDRP funding is being
given to State Government. Therefore, it may be possible to extend R-APDRP to
CESU through Government of Odisha”.
Earlier, Singh Deo had sent his letter and discussed the issue
with M Veerappa Moily, who was then in charge of the Union Ministry of
Power. The Minister recently replied, “In this regard, the State Government has
been requested to send its consent for receiving the funds under R-APDRP,
channelising them to distribution sector in CESU area.”
He has said that as per the requirement of the scheme, what is
needed is undertaking responsibility of fulfilling the conditions prescribed in
the scheme and accepting the obligation of repayment of the loans.
The Union Minister’s letter also reveals that the proposal for
extending R-APDRP assistance to private distribution utilities is under
consideration of the Ministry.
The Odisha Government has time and again demanded that the Union
Ministry of Power include the State in R-APDRP. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
had written a letter to the Prime Minister urging him to take necessary steps
to sanction financial assistance to the CESU under the R-APDRP without any
further delay.
Stating that by availing of R-APDRP assistance many States have
substantially reduced the AT&C (aggregate technical and commercial) losses
to below 25 per cent, Patnaik had said Odisha is still suffering AT&C loss
of about 40 per cent on being deprived of R-APDRP assistance.
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