Grid collapse: Veerappa Moily to discuss power crisis with CMs of eight states

NEW DELHI: Union power minister Veerappa Moily has called a meeting of chief ministers and power secretaries of eight states that suffered a blackout on Monday and Tuesday following collapse of the northern grid.

The meeting, on August 6, will focus on grid discipline and safety measures.

"We thought it appropriate to convene a meeting of principal power secretaries and chief ministers of all the affected eight states," Moily, who took charge of the power ministry on Wednesday, said.

About 300 million people in eight states and the Union Territory of Chandigarh went powerless on Monday after the northern grid collapsed. The power ministry has said that some states drew more than their share of electricity from the grid, leading to its collapse.

Moily, however, said the purpose of the meeting is not to blame any state but to seek the cooperation of all concerned in maintaining grid discipline.

"At this point of time, we don't want to start any blame game," he said. "Without cooperation of states and without cooperation of the Centre, nothing can be done."

Moily said the Centre will take necessary commercial and technical measures, including increasing congestion charges and curbing overdrawals, to ensure safety of the grid.

"I have asked the committee, set up by the ministry, to also look into any weak links in the inter-regional power transmission system that need to be strengthened," Moily said, adding that he has "directed that the work of strengthening (the grid) be taken up on a war footing".

Measures to avoid recurrence of such events as per recommendations of the committee will be taken immediately, he said.