The total overdue amount of power distribution utilities or discoms towards electricity producers or gencos have again started rising from October this year, showing increasing stress in the sector, as per a power ministry report. The overdue amount is the outstanding that has not been paid even after the expiry of 45 days grace period after bill generation. Many gencos charge penal interest on overdues.

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According to a latest status report finalised by the power ministry on November 29, 2021, the total overdue of the discoms rose to Rs 93,609 crore in October, from Rs 91,738 crore in September this year. The total overdues of discoms had started tapering off from January this year, when it dipped to Rs 97,334 crore from Rs 99,831 crore in December, 2020. However, it again rose to Rs 97,292 in February this year.

The overdue amount again dipped to Rs 80,281 crore in March and remained steady at Rs 81,533 crore in April this year. It jumped to Rs 90,210 crore in May and rose further to Rs 95,529 crore in June and Rs 98,909 crore in July this year. In August, it dipped to Rs 98,042 crore.

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The data showed that the amount of overdues of discoms towards independent power producers (IPP) has been rising since January this year, when it was Rs 38,364 crore and went up to Rs 50,642 crore in October, 2021, which is 54 percent of the total overdue outstanding. As on October 31, 2021, among the IPPs, Adani Power had maximum amount of overdues to be paid by the discoms at Rs 24,834 crore followed by Lalitpur Power Generation Company at Rs 4,493 crore, ILFS Tamil Nadu Power Company at Rs 3,106 crore and Sembcorp Energy India at Rs 2,496 crore.

The amount of overdues of discoms towards CPSE (Central Public Sector Enterprises) stood at Rs 23,955 crore as on October 31, 2021, which constitutes 26 percent of the total amount. Among CPSEs, the state-run power giant NTPC had the maximum amount of overdues to be paid by discoms at Rs 4,591 crore, followed by NLC India at Rs 2,692 crore and DVC at Rs 2,465 crore.

The report showed that the top five states with major IPPs overdue are Maharashtra at Rs 16,569 crore as of October 31, 2021, followed by Rajasthan at Rs 9,350 crore, Tamil Nadu at Rs 7,376 crore, Uttar Pradesh at Rs 6,317 crore and Telangana at Rs 2,743 crore. It also showed that the top five states with major CPSEs overdues are Tamil Nadu at Rs 6,819 crore, Jammu & Kashmir at Rs 5,344 crore, Karnataka at Rs 2,773 crore, Jharkhand at Rs 2,190 crore and Telangana at Rs 1,481 crore.

The total overdues amount towards renewable energy (RE) producers stood at Rs 19,013 crore which constitutes 20 percent of the total amount. Andhra Pradesh utilities own the maximum amount of the overdues towards RE producers at Rs 6,279 crore followed by Tamil Nadu at Rs 3,215 crore and Telangana at Rs 2,159 crore.

First Published:Dec 14, 2021 2:58 PM IST