Uday scheme to make every state's discom profitable in three years: Piyush Goyal

23 Dec 2015 Evaluate

Government’s ambitious $7-billion debt recast scheme ‘Uday’ (Ujwal DISCOM Assurance Yojana) for power distribution companies (discoms) has made a promising start. Power, Coal and Renewable Energy Minister Piyush Goyal has said that 12 key states have came up on board, and bonds worth Rs 70,000 crore to Rs 1 lakh crore is likely to be issued in the next three months to help clean up the balance sheets of these ailing utilities.

Goyal said the scheme had the overwhelming support of all stakeholders, particularly bankers, who had forcefully backed it. The success of the Uday package for discoms is vital for banks, which have lent Rs 4.3 lakh crore to these utilities. It is also crucial for India's ambitious clean energy programme, revival of stranded thermal power projects and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision to supply affordable 24x7 electricity to all.

The minister said that a dozen states have already opted for the scheme and several others have said approvals would come very soon. He further said that all states are likely to accept the scheme, which will make every state's discom profitable in three years, ending decades of inefficiency and mismanagement in the most vital link of the power sector.

Under the scheme, states have been promised attractive incentives such as cheaper power and more coal if they adopt the scheme and take over 75% of the debt of ailing discoms. States have to issue bonds in the market or to the lenders while the debt that is not taken over by the state will be converted into loans or bonds with an interest rate not exceeding the bank's base rate plus 0.1%.

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