NEW DELHI: NTPC produces power, naturally. Not so naturally, it also supplies to the powerful. India’s top utility, a listed company 10.5% of whose stock is held by the public, is busy these days not just generating thermal power, but also supplying power ministry honchos with eatables, floor carpets, car rides, plasma TVs, even footing their telephone bills.

The NTPC chairman and managing director could not be contacted for his comments on the development.

A disclosure under the Right to Information (RTI) Act has revealed that NTPC spent more than Rs 50 lakh in the last two years supplying power ministry mavens with a range of comforts ranging from electric lawn mowers to plasma TVs, sure, all for office use. These details were furnished by NTPC after the Central Information Commissioner (CIC) asked the PSU to respond to a petition filed in this regard. The petition, filed by an Allahabad-based individual, had earlier been rejected by NTPC on grounds that the information required was personal in nature. The CIC slammed that defence citing that the main objective of the RTI Act was to ensure transparency in the functioning of public authorities.

In its detailed reply, NTPC admits that it had incurred Rs 2.78 lakh in the last two years providing "consumable items" to the ministry. This has been broken down as pantry items (Rs 2.4 lakh) and stationery worth Rs 38,000.

NTPC plays golden goose for ministry-Power-Energy-News By Industry-News-The Economic Times

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