The burden of discom dues on PSUs: From NTPC to CIL, everyone is waiting for payments

• The latest data sourced from the Ministry of Power shows that the outstanding dues owed by discoms to PSUs stood at a whopping Rs 44,780 crore in June

• Outstanding dues from power utilities to NTPC stood at Rs 14,351 crore in June

New Delhi: In the backdrop of the government announcing a Rs 90,000-crore bailout for power utilities under Aatmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan, the latest data sourced from the Ministry of Power shows that the outstanding dues owed by discoms to PSUs stood at a whopping Rs 44,780 crore in June. Data also showed that the cumulative dues owed by discoms to power generating companies, including CPSUs, state gencos, independent power producers (IPPs) and Renewable Energy developers, stood at Rs 1.20 lakh crore at the end of June.

NTPC awaiting payment of Rs 14,351 crore from discoms

Among the Central power PSUs, the company that is awaiting the clearance of the largest amount of outstanding dues is India's largest power generating company, NTPC Limited. While the data for cumulative outstanding dues was not available for specific CPSUs, outstanding dues from power utilities to NTPC stood at Rs 14,351 crore in June. Next up in the list is Neyveli Lignite Corporation (NLC), which is awaiting clearance of dues totalling Rs 7,707 crore from power utilities.

Power utilities also owe Rs 6,765 crore to Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC), Rs 5,680 crore to Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), Rs 4,764 crore to PowerGrid, and Rs 3,434.56 crore to NHPC Limited.

What about state gencos, IPPs and RE developers?

According to the data, discoms owe state gencos Rs 24,520.98 crore in dues, while they owe Rs 42,289.34 crore to IPPs and Rs 10,135.59 crore to RE developers. The amount paid by discoms against the outstanding in June stood at Rs 1,615 crore. 

Discom dues: Power sector owes Rs 20,918 cr to Coal India

The inability of discoms to pay gencos and transcos has burdened the entire power sector, with the effect being felt in companies that are further down the chain, especially in the thermal power sector. According to data released by the Ministry of Coal, outstanding dues payable by the power sector to Coal India Limited (CIL) stood at Rs 20,918.96 crore as on June 30. Coal India supplies around 80 percent of its total supplies to the power sector.

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