TS decided to fight legally to get power dues from AP

HYDERABAD: State power distribution companies (discoms) have decided to file a writ petition against the order of the Union ministry of power to pay Rs 6,757 crore power dues to Andhra Pradesh within a month. The Centre had the TS government to clear the dues under the AP Reorganisation Act, 2014.

Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao conducted a high level meeting with energy minister G. Jagadish Reddy and D. Prabhakar Rao, TS Transco and Genco chairman and managing director, after reviewing the Union power ministry order directed them to challenge it in court.

However, the TS government is claiming Rs 17,828 crore from Andhra Pradesh power utilities. Under five components, the TS government assessed Rs 11,248 crore as principal amount and Rs 6,579 crore as interest at the rate of 10.50 per cent. Interestingly, by exempeting Rs 4,887 crore to be paid to AP Genco, TS government is claiming Rs 12,940 crore from AP.

When contacted, TS Transco joint managing director C. Srinivas Rao refused to comment on power dues from the AP government. The TS discoms will decide over getting the dues from the neighbouring state, he added. TS Transco was in no way concerned with the power dues issue, he said.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle, a senior official from Telangana power utilities said that AP government had approached High Court and National Company Law Tribunal over power dues and later withdrew its cases. The Telangana government had already filed a case in this regard and the issue was sub-judice, he explained. “We are taking utmost care in filing a case against the Central government order over power dues”, he said on condition of anonymity.