Yeida serves notice to discom for supplying power to areas outside its limits
GREATER NOIDA: The Yamuna Expressway Industrial Development Authority (Yeida), Thursday, served a notice to Noida Power Corporation Limited (NPCL) for supplying powers in areas outside its jurisdiction.
The NPCL, which is licensed to supply electricity only in Greater Noida, has been found supplying power to Galgotias University, Noida International University and Supertech Tower, all of which fall under the jurisdiction of Pashchimanchal Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (PVVNL).
Yeida chief executive officer Arun Veer Singh said a notice has been served to NPCL for encroaching on PVVNL’s domain. “It has caused a huge revenue loss to PVVNL. We have asked NPCL to explain the reason for this encroachment. If the discom is unable to furnish a suitable reply, we will write the government to cancel NPCL’s licence to supply power,” he said.
NPCL general manager Sarnath Ganguli, however, feels that Yeida is making a “mountain out of a mole hill”. “I have yet not received the notice. But, where was Yeida in 2009, when the authority allocated land to these establishments? The authority is supposed to provide complete infrastructure to them. When these educational institutes were completed in 2012, they sought an electricity supply network from the Yeida. But, the authority could not provide the PVVNL network to them for many years,” he said.
The general manager further alleged that Yeida authorities did not pay any heed to requests made by these educational institutions, even after the admission process began in 2011.
“When they contacted the NPCL for providing them power, they were straightaway told that the area does not fall under the jurisdiction of NPCL. After that, these consumers along with Yeida officials made repeated requests to NPCL to provide them electricity. Taking serious note of the future of students, we finally provided them the power connection, with the condition that whenever PVVNL will develop its network in that area, the institute will have to shift their connection after clearing all NPCL dues,” Ganguli said.
He also said NPCL has no intention to cause any revenue loss to PVVNL. “We are paying the price for being kind to educational institutions. We will disconnect our lines immediately from those areas,” he said.
When contacted, acting vice-chancellor of Noida International University Daya Nand, said NPCL had given the power lines, with the verbal consent of Yeida authorities in 2011.
“It is surprising to us that without making alternative power arrangements for us, a notice has been served to the NPCL. If NPCL disconnects supply to our university, what will happen to students? Yeida must not forget that our campus has a hospital, too, that caters to thousands of patients,” he said.
Echoing similar views, Galgotias University registrar Nitin Kumar Gaur said the authority is doing gross injustice to NPCL. “Instead of being penalised, NPCL should be appreciated for providing power connection to this area, when there was no other network here. If it disconnects connections immediately, it will definitely have a negative effect on the future of students, who are currently taking their semester examinations,” he said.
When contacted, PVVNL chief engineer Virendra Nath Singh, said ”Until now, the matter has not been brought to my notice.”