The Orissa government has submitted an alternative proposal to the Centre for receiving funds under the Accelerated Power Development & Reforms Programme (APDRP). The state government is now proposing to implement the centrally sponsored programme through state-owned Orissa Power Transmission Corp Ltd .
A high-level official team comprising chief secretary, Ajit Kumar Tripathy, and energy secretary, Pradeep Jena, are now at Delhi to discuss the matter with the Union power ministry officials.
The alternative proposal was submitted as the Union power ministry refused to provide any funds under the APDRP to the privately owned power distribution companies (Distcoms). Since Orissa and Delhi have privatised the distribution business completing the power sector reforms, these two states were denied the fund.
The Union power minister, Sushil Kumar Sindhe, has reportedly written to the state energy minister, Surya Narayan Patro, that the issue of covering private Distcoms under APDRP during the 11th Plan was discussed in the Group of Ministers (GoM) meeting. The GoM was not in favour of granting central assistance to private Distcoms and the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA) has also approved this on March 31, 2008.
“This is nothing but paneling the states that have carried forward the power sector reforms by privatising the distribution business,” Patro said. He said the state has received only Rs 74 crore though Rs 592 crore was sanctioned in the 10th Plan.