The Centre on Friday categorically made it clear that it will not take over Enron-promoted Dabhol Power Company`s (DPC) USD three billion power project, nor will the National Thermal Power Corporation buy power from the multinational.
We are not going to buy the plant, nor its power, Union Power Secretary A K Basu told reporters after his keynote address at the inauguration of an international conference in "global participation in Indian National Grid, Energy Management and Convergence" here.
The government of India has made it very clear that this is a dispute between the DPC and Maharashtra government and a solution has to be found by them, "we are willing to provide any help needed", he added. Meanwhile, another power ministry official confirmed that the conciliation procedure between the US energy major and the Centre would commence tomorrow and could spill over till Monday.
The conciliation is for three days and restricted only to the non-payment of the December bill, he said. The attorney general of India and senior counsel Soli Sorabjee and former Supreme Court judge Jeevan Reddy would represent the Centre, the official said, adding that the government would accept the conciliation verdict in whomsover`s favour it would be pronounced.
The Godbole Committee, set up to renegotiate the power purchase agreement between MSEB and Enron-promoted Dabhol Power Company (DPC), will finalise and submit its report to Maharashtra government in the next two to three weeks. Bureau Report