Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 13 August 2025
The Calcutta High Court at its Circuit Bench in Port Blair, on 11th August 2025, has recorded its surprise that “the Central Electricity Authority had approved the proposal for purchase of 15 MW Diesel Generators (9 MW at Chatham Power House and 6 MW at Phoenix Bay Power House) during the year 2024”, but “despite such approval, the Lieutenant Governor turned down the tender process relating to the same with an observation that the Administration should opt for Green Energy.”
The Bench, comprising Justices Suvra Ghosh and Md. Shabbar Rashidi, stated: “This Court fails to understand under what authority the Lieutenant Governor turned down the process despite the same being approved by the Central Electricity Authority.”
It is recorded in the order: “It is expected that the Lieutenant Governor shall take necessary steps for materialisation of the proposal approved by the Central Electricity Authority in order to resolve the present power crisis.”
The Court further noted that the Administration undertook to restore “the shortage of around 3 MW from the existing hired power plant on account of breakdown of D.G. sets in one of the existing plants within a fortnight from date.”
The observation was made in WPA(P)/11/2024, Shri Indra Pal Singh v. Union of India & Others, before the Calcutta High Court (Circuit Bench at Port Blair) on August 11, 2025, by Justices Suvra Ghosh and Md. Shabbar Rashidi.
