Bhubaneswar, Oct. 21: The state government has approached the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC), seeking a directive to captive power generation plants to supply energy at the existing rate of Rs 2.75 per unit.

Director (commercial) of Grid Corporation of Odisha (Gridco) P.K. Pradhan told The Telegraph: "As the state is passing through a power crisis, we need electricity from captive plants. But it is not acceptable to us at the price they have quoted to supply the power. The OERC being a quasi-judicial body will decide the case and we will go by its verdict."

However, Pradhan said they had to procure power from the captive plants to avoid possible power cuts in the state.

However, the government is not resorting to power cuts during the evening hours because of the festive season. While the state's requirement is 4,100MW, it has so far been able to arrange 3,600MW of power.

The Gridco procures power from various agencies and supplies it to distribution companies. The power plants, which had hitherto been supplying electricity to the state government at Rs 2.75 per unit, are now demanding Rs 3.20 paise per unit. The government, however, is not ready to oblige them.

instead of complying with the demands of the captive plants, the state government should issue an ordinance under the Electricity Act to procure power from them.

"When the state was passing through a similar crisis in 2011 and 2012, it had exercised its authority and procured power from the captive plants under the electricity act. Why the precedence has not been followed this time is the moot question," said senior BJP leader Bijoy Mohapatra.