NRPC cracks whip on J&K as deadline for pending dues elapse

Srinagar, Sep 02: The Northern Regional Power Committee (NRPC) has directed Jammu and Kashmir Power Corporation Limited (JKPCL) to expedite the clearance of outstanding dues, warning that the promised six-month deadline has already elapsed.

NRPC has said that during a hearing on December-03 last year, J&K has sought six months to clear all outstanding dues. “Commission  reserved its order after hearing the parties.”

The Committee said that during the hearing of the petition, J&K had committed to clear all outstanding dues within six months, out of which three months have already elapsed.

It also states that the Technical Coordination Committee (TCC) has said, “NRLDC informed the forum about long outstanding 55Cr dues of Jammu and Kashmir Power Corporation Limited (JKPCL) against DSM and Ancillary pool accounts. “

“It also informed that CERC in its order in petition has also directed JKPCL to clear all the outstanding dues along with applicable interest and surcharge and to maintain the requisite LC as per regulation,” it reads.

Accordingly, the Member Secretary of NRPC asked J&K representatives to take up the matter with senior officials of JKPCL for clearing of the dues at the earliest.

“TCC forum suggested the J&K representative to clear the outstanding dues of 55Cr at the earliest and to make regular payment as per timeline mentioned in the DSM regulation,” it reads.

The forum asked J&K representatives to apprise their higher officials of the overdue charges and delay in opening Line of Credit and clear the outstanding dues at the earliest and make regular payment as per timeline mentioned in the DSM regulation.

Earlier in May, KNO reported that NRPC has revealed that Jammu & Kashmir has consistently neglected to clear deviation and reactive energy charges, payments that are mandatorily due within 10 days under the DSM Regulations.

NRPC had said that the Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC) is operating and maintaining the ‘Northern Region Pool Account’ for deviation charges, Reactive Energy Charges and Congestion Charges in accordance with provisions under various CERC Regulations.

Pertinently, the Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly in April was informed that several departments owe a whopping hundreds of crores to the government on account of unpaid power dues.