MSEDCL, MERC clash again

 The clash between the energy ministry and the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) intensified further on Friday when MSEDCL  managing director Ajoy Mehta, energy secretary Subrat Ratho and some senior MSEDCL officers left a hearing on load-shedding mid-way.

While consumer activist Pratap Hogade described the incident as a walk out, Mehta said that he had taken permission of the commission.

The state government earlier used to respect MERC in public. But this is no longer the case. Minister of state for energy Vijay Wadettiwar had recently said that many MERC decisions were anti-people and impractical.

MERC was conducting a hearing in Mumbai on a complaint lodged by Hogade that MSEDCL was doing excess load-shedding all over the state to divert power to industries and cities having zero load-shedding (ZLS). Hogade spoke at length leveling several charges against MSEDCL. As soon as Hogade finished, Mehta rose and sought permission to present his side. However, MERC chairman V P Raja said that authorised consumer representatives would speak first. At this Mehta, Ratho and some officers left the hearing. However, some senior officers remained.

Mehta described the charges of walk out as a mischievous propaganda. "We were the accused in the hearing. As per the civil or criminal procedure code, the accused is given an opportunity to speak after prosecution. The prosecution presented its side on July 16. This time, the same people were being repeatedly given a chance first. I therefore raised a point of order but was overruled. Hence I and Mr Ratho asked the MERC to excuse us as being senior officers we had a lot of work to do," said Mehta.

Consumer activist Pratap Hogade alleged that MSEDCL had submitted false data. "It stated on the affidavit that the power shortfall was around 6,000 MW but SLDC shows that it is between 2,500 MW and 3,000 MW," said Hogade.