The dispute between the two Telugu States -- Telangana and Andhra Pradesh --over power dues is likely to find an echo in the 30th Southern Zonal Council meeting scheduled to be held Thiruvanantapuram on September 3.
The issue which figured in the last meeting of the SZC on May 28 has been pending resolution as both States are firm on their stances. Dues from Telangana power utilities towards cost of power supplied by Andhra Pradesh assume significance in the light of the communication addressed by the Union Power Ministry directing the State Government to clear dues in excess of ₹6,700 crore within a month.
Officials are surprised at the manner in which the Central Government had directed the State to pay the dues at a time when the proposed meeting of the two States with the Union Home Secretary was yet to take place. The State had repeatedly requested the Centre to ensure that its version should also be heard in the matter before taking a final decision and the matter had accordingly been kept in the pending items in the agenda of the SZC.
According to the minutes of the 12th standing committee meeting of the SZC, the item had been treated as pending with the advice that Telangana’s views would be heard at the time when the Union Government gives its direction in the matter. The State has recently addressed a letter to the Union Home Ministry explaining about the unilateral cancellation of power purchase agreements and stoppage of scheduling power to Telangana by the APGenco.
The State complained that there were many instances where AP power utilities took decision detrimental to the interests of Telangana without acting on the advice of the SRLDC. “Claims made by AP power utilities in the meetings with Government of India that they have acted on the directive of GoI is not correct,” Telangana complained adding that AP power utilities were not considering requests to settle disputes related to power dues at the State level and were doing “forum shopping” so that they were not settled.
“If all the issues are settled at State level, TS power utilities have to get around ₹ 17,828 crore from AP power utilities,” the State said. It has also attached documents in support of its claims stating that the total receivable from AP utilities was ₹17,420 crore while dues payable to APGenco for power purchase were ₹4,887 crore leaving a balance of ₹12,532 crore receivable by Telangana.
The other issues that figure in the agenda of the Thiruvananthapuram meeting included division of Schedule IX and X institutions between the two States and bifurcation of AP Bhavan in New Delhi while Karnataka’s objections to Palamuru Rangareddy and Nakkalagandi projects lifting water from the foreshores of Srisailam reservoir.
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