Cuttack, April 17: Orissa High Court will consider on Monday the necessity of a CBI probe to look for reasons behind Orissa Hydro Power Corporation’s alleged failure to generate and add a single MW more power even after spending Rs 229 crore.

Keonjhar Navanirman Parishad and Federation of Consumer Organisation of Orissa had filed a PIL seeking the CBI inquiry, while challenging the Orissa Electricity Regulatory Commission’s order enhancing tariff of electricity for 2011-2012 from April 1.

While imposing interim restriction on collection of enhanced tariff from consumers, the two-judge bench of Justice B.P. Das and Justice B.K. Mishra had on March 31 issued notices to the state government to show cause as to why the CBI probe should not be ordered. It also fixed April 18 as the date for hearing the PIL. The CBI counsel was also asked to receive notice on behalf of the central investigating agency.

According to the petition, the tariff orders of OERC of different years from 2004 to 2010 show that instead of adding capacity of cheaper and cleaner hydro power, Gridco, the sole bulk supplier of electricity in the state, has been purchasing thermal power from Central Grid at a higher cost for which the power tariff has been raised and the extra cost of purchase is being passed on to consumers.

“Six hydro power stations had been installed with a combined capacity of 1877.5MW. The Orissa Hydro Power Corporation Ltd has spent nearly Rs 229 crore since 1995, but not a single MW power to the existing capacity was added,” the petition contended.