‘Execute Rajpura, Gidderwaha power projects under PSU’

PNS | Patiala

The Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Engineers Association, in a letter to Chief Minister Prakash Singh Badal, has sought execution of Rajpura and Gidderwaha thermal projects as public sector units (PSUs).

With peak power shortage touching 38 per cent, the association has appreciated the efforts of the State Government in taking up three thermal power projects with a capacity addition of 5,950 MW. These include 1,980 MW project at Talwandi Sabo, 1,320 MW at Rajpura, 2,640 MW at Gidderwaha and revival of 540 MW Goindwal Sahib project.

Association president HS Bedi said here that the State Government has adopted a failed route of executing new projects through private sector but instead this project should have been kept with public sector for timely completion.

He further said that in view of the poor track record of private sector in capacity addition, the Government of India had assigned only 10,760 MW out of 76,577 MW of projects during the eleventh five year Plan. The private sector has added only 1,000 MW in the first 21months of the eleventh five year Plan.

The Gidderwaha project is still in its initial stages. PSEB Engineers Association has demanded that since all the clearances for Rajpura thermal project has been taken, the project should be executed under public sector. It is not possible to complete the project by any private player in the given time frame, they said.

Bedi further pointed out that the existing railway system as not in a position to support the proposed capacity addition of 5,950 MW. It must take up with Railways to execute the ‘Coal Transportation Agreement’ for supply of coal to these thermal projects.