The Central Electricity Regularity Commission (CERC) has slapped a penalty of Rs 2.57 crore on the UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) for violating the Indian Electricity Grid Code by overdrawing from the Northern Grid. This is the fifth time in two years that the CERC has imposed penalty on the UPPCL for violating the code.

Citing 257 instances of violation by the UPPCL from April 13 to May 9 this year, the CERC has imposed penalty at the rate of Rs 1 lakh for each instance, as the excess drawl ranged from 50 to 1,000 MW. The UPPCL violated the code in entire May and June but the CERC took cognisance of only the period mentioned by the Northern Region Load Dispatch Centre (NRLDC) in its complaint to the power regulator about the UPPCL overdrawing from the Northern Grid.

Following the complaint, the CERC conducted the hearing and in its August 21 order asked the power utility to deposit Rs 2.57 crore by August 31. Having decided to challenge the CERC order before the appellate tribunal, a senior UPPCL official said the appeal will be filed by August 31.

The UPPCL counsel, pleading the case before the CERC, said being a corporation under the state government the power utility lacked statutory autonomy and was forced to overdraw following the government’s orders. He, however, could not produce any document in support of the claim before the CERC.

UP has a daily quota of 3,800 MW from the Central sector power plants located in the state, but the quota is valid only when there is 100 per cent power generation in NTPC plants at Singrauli, Dadri and Unchaar. With a drop in generation in NTPC units, the state’s quota faces corresponding reduction.

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