Imphal, July 15: The Manipur government sold power outside the state despite the crippling power crisis in the state, the Comptroller and Auditor General of India report for the year ending March 31, 2011, has revealed.

“Avoid selling power outside the state and consider using the same within the state for meeting the requirements,” the report tabled in the Assembly during the just concluded monsoon session recommended.

“The electricity department purchased power from various central generating stations in the Northeast like Neepco and NHPC as per sectoral allocation. While the state was suffering from shortage of power, the department was selling power outside,” the report said.

As a result, the report said the power deficit increased from 104 million units in 2006-07 to 308.56 million units in 2010-11. “The power supply in the state was in a precarious condition. Nowhere in the state, barring a few privileged consumers, was the supply continuous. Even in Imphal, the capital city, supply was not for more than six hours a day,” it said.

The state’s annual quota of power from central sector power plants operating in the Northeast was 124.15MW.

But the department actually drew only 50.37 to 65.30MW during the last five years. The report recorded that during 2006-07, 227.44 million units energy were sold by the department, which increased to 381.58 million units during 2006-11.

Manipur has 1,93,661 consumers and the power department has 3,190 employees.

The department said all the state’s purchase was routed through the 132KV substation at Yurembam in Imphal West, which could draw only 100MW power. The report said the department did not maintain accounts like for profit and loss and balance sheets.

The power department made no effort to conduct energy auditing of government buildings though such auditing activity could save energy from 27 per cent to 46 per cent.

The report also said funds were not utilised properly, though accounts showed the funds as spent.

Citing an example, the report said the department’s Chandel division drew Rs 3.98 crore and parked the amount at the government’s account number 8449 during March 2009 while three other divisions drew a sum of Rs 31.79 crore and parked the amount (deposited and kept) at government’s account number 8443 during March 2011. However, the accounts showed the amounts as spent.

The outstanding power bill dues at the end of the year increased from Rs 192.84 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 261.36 crore in 2010-11, the report said.