The cash-starved MSEB has purchased 400 million units from the DPC for the month of April. Of the Rs 190 crore, MSEB will have to pay Rs 90 crore towards fixed cost and the balance as energy charges as decided in the renegotiated power purchase agreement.

Top MSEB sources told The Financial Express that it will make a part payment of nearly Rs 50 crore "may be" tomorrow or within few days. These sources made it clear that MSEB will make full payment however, will seek additional time from DPC for this purpose.

MSEB sources said that the rise in the energy bill was mainly due to hike in the naphtha price. It has shot up from Rs 178 to Rs 320 MMBTu. This has resulted in the increase in the variable cost. MSEB has so far made a payment of over Rs 1,100 crore to the DPC for the purchase of power since the commissioning of 740 mw first phae in May last year. The per unit cost has crossed Rs 4. According to consumer activists, the per unit cost has touched at Rs 4.70.

It must be mentiond here that the Maharashtra Energy Regulatory Commission (MERC) in its recent order on tariff hike has disallowed MSEB to spend Rs 309 crore on power purchase during 2000-01.