DEC 4: Leading power distributor BSES today filed a complaint before the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC), thereby averting an imminent disconnection of back-up facilities to itself and TEC by the Maharashtra State Electricity Board (MSEB).Subsequently, the state government directed MSEB to extend its disconnection deadline until a decision is taken by the MERC. Today's extension was the second issued since the dispute over standby charges owed to MSEB began afresh.Earlier, the board had issued an ultimatum to TEC to pay up Rs 274 crore in arrears as standby charges and government had extended the deadline till Monday.Sources said Vinay Bansal, chairman, MSEB has issued orders not to disconnect power to TEC since the matter has been taken up by MERC. With this move, the standby row involving MSEB, TEC and BSES has taken a twist as it's the Commission that has to finally resolve this issue.TEC is supposed to pay Rs 361 crore per year as standby charges for the facility provided by the MSEB to avert power failures in Mumbai. Since TEC supplies power to BSES, it recovers a part of the charges from the latter, which as per TEC's claim amounts to Rs 181 crore. The feud between the two companies over sharing of charges has resulted in non-payment of Rs 274 crore to MSEB.Confirming this latest move, Jayant Deo, member, MERC said: "BSES has filed a complaint before the Commission today and we are examining the same. All the respondents involved will be intimated soon and will be asked to file rejoinders."The Commission was asked by BSES to intervene in the dispute earlier, but the state government had not granted enough powers to the Commission to interfere in disputes between licencees under Section 22 (N) of ERC Act. This issue was solved after the government granted powers last month, added Deo.Earlier, in a high-level meeting held on Friday, it was decided that the board will start token disconnection of a 100 KV standby facility from its Kalwa substation to TEC's Salset interconnection with effect from Friday midnight.Simultaneously, TEC also had decided to withdraw its standby facility of 220 KV to BSES's Versova interconnection. This would have left the suburbs where BSES provides power vulnerable to breakdowns as BSES only has two 220 KV back facility at RA Colony and Versova.However, an MSEB official criticising the state goverment's interference said: "Referring the dispute to MERC should not prevent the board from disconnecting standby power to a defaulter. In fact, in Bhiwandi powerloom consumers case, power connection to defaulters are withdrawn even though MERC has intervened in the matter."
