Kolkata:
Damodar Valley Corp (DVC), the three-way venture between the Union, West Bengal and Jharkhand governments, is way behind its schedule to commission the thermal projects adding up to 5200 mw generation, of which 2500 mw is earmarked to power Delhi Commonwealth Games in 2010.
DVC plans to commission Chandrapura-7 (250 mw) and Chandrapura- 8 (250 mw) in September 2009 and March 2010 and units one and two (2x500 mw) of Mejia-2 in April and July, 2010. Units one and two (2x500 mw) of Koderma are supposed to be commissioned in October 2010 and January 2011, and units one and two (2x600 mw) of Raghunathpur in March and June, 2011.
Two units of Durgapur Steel Thermal Power Station (2x500 mw) are scheduled to start operation by December 2010 and Feburary 2011, respectively and a unit of Bokaro-A by March 2012. However, all these projects are behind schedule, according to the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), the apex body of power sector engineers.
The AIPEF has already sent a report to the Prime Minister regarding delays in implementing the projects. The slippage in project work is mainly because of the absence of a regular chairman, the report stated.
Although the power ministry had appointed Sreemath Pandey as DVC chairman in June, this year, Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Ghelot is reluctant to release him. When contacted by FE, Pandey said:: "Of course I am keen to join DVC, but the Rajasthan government is not releasing me. Let's see what happens."
Pandey is, currently, the principal secretary of the CM’s department as well as the energy department in Rajasthan. Subrata Biswas, DVC's secretary, said: ‘‘There is no possibility of Pandey joining the DVC. Having a full-time chairman is still uncertain and the ministry is looking into the issue.’’
The post of a full-time DVC chairman is lying vacant since December 2008. GB Pradhan, additional secretary of the ministry of power, was given the additional charge of DVC after Asim Barman retired on November 30, 2008.
Union power minister Sushilkumar Shinde requested Prime Minster to give an extension to Barman in order to ensure timely commissioning of the projects. However, the PM turned down his request
Shinde's letter to the Prime Minister (available with FE) written on April 22, 2008, states: "In order to ensure the commissioning of the massive thermal capacity addition projects including the Commonwealth Games projects in time and also bring the various new initiatives on socio-economic development of the valley (Damodar Valley) to fruitful completion, Shri Barman's continuity as chairman, DVC, after his supperannuation on November 30, 2008, is very desirable."
The Raghunathpur (2x600mw) Bokaro- A (500mw) and the Mejia (2x500mw) projects were mainly planned to power the Commonwealth Games. But the power ministry and the Central Electricity Authority have already acknowledged the Raghunathpur and Bokaro-A projects would miss the Commonwealth Games deadline.
While Raghunathpur has become controversial with a key file relating to award of the contract missing, Mejia has no coal linkage as yet. There has been little progress in the construction work of Bokaro-A.
AIPEF chairman Padamjit Singh said since the DVC chairman is the only full-time member of the board, having executive power and power secretaries of the West Bengal and Jharkhand governments, who are also directors of the board without any executive powers; major decisions remain pending in absence of a full-time chairman.
Although Pradhan was given the additional charge of DVC chairman, it is becoming increasingly difficult for him to continue with two important positions, Singh said.
AIPEF has written to the Prime Minister that since Pandey's application for the post of DVC chairman was routed through government of Rajasthan and forwarded to the Union government, "there was no justification for the Rajasthan government to do a volte-face and block the entire selection process".
The selection for the post of DVC chairman is a long-drawn process. Moreover, the governors of partner states, West Bengal and Jharkhand, have to approve the chairman's appointment before it is processed through the power ministry, department of personnel and training and appointment committee of the Union Cabinet. Therefore, another appointment would take at least six months, Singh said.
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