Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut has demanded the centre to provide a special economic package for the power sector in the wake of the nationwide lockdown due to the coronavirus outbreak.
The state energy minister has said that the electricity should also be enlisted as an essential commodity. Nitin Raut made these demand during a power purchase review meeting with private power producers.
The meeting was held via video conferencing and with a purpose to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the lockdown period. Speaking about the troubles which Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) or Mahavitaran is facing, Raut sought centre’s help for the same.
Maharashtra Energy Minister Nitin Raut informed that the Mahavitaran was purchasing power from private and public sector generators to provide uninterrupted power supply to the consumers during the lockdown period.
“However, the bill recovery from consumers is very low due to which the MSEDCL is facing troubles while making payment for power purchase,” Raut was quoted in a TOI report as saying.
The minister demanded the centre to come out with a strategy for the MSEDCL to get access to the money at a much lower interest rate from the financial institutions. Along with this, Raut said that the National Thermal Power Station to give bill discount to the Mahavitaran.
Nitin Raut also said that the overall power demand has increased due to the summer heat and Ramadan. Moreover, the minister said that the industrial demand for power in green zones has also increased.
Earlier, the Maharashtra government had allowed the industries to work in a district with zero COVID-19 cases or in green zones. With the demand of additional funds for Maharashtra in the wake of the coronavirus lockdown, Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
In his letter, Sharad Pawar urged the centre to provide “generous financial package” to Maharashtra government while stating that the state will not be in a position to beat the coronavirus pandemic in case there is no fiscal help.
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