Manpreet Badal seeks additional 1500 MW of power from central projects

(Vinod Kumar Gupta

Publication Date 25/7/2009

New Delhi: Finance Minister of Punjab, Manpreet Badal, is looking for help from central sector projects for additional 1500 MW of power for setting up of two central sector power projects in the state.
Speaking at a conference of industrialists in New Delhi, Badal said that Punjab need an additional allocation of 1500 MW from the central sector projects in a bid to turn around the critical power position of state due to partial failure of monsoon. The state has also demanded allocation of more power from the unallocated share of power from the central sector projects that are located in the Northern region of the country. He further stressed that at least two mega projects of 1000 MW each should be set up in the state by the central government. He said that during the financial year 2008-09 only 37,238 million units of energy was available in Punjab, against a demand of 41,635 million units resulting into a shortage of 10.6 percent. Quoting from recent Load Generation Balance Report, brought out by the Central Electricity Authority he said that, Punjab''s net energy requirement, during 2009-10, is likely to be of the order of 44,301 million units while the power availability anticipated for the current year is only 37,598 million units. A shortage of 15.1 percent i.e. 6,703 million units, is, expected in the current financial year, along with a peak deficit of 28.3 percent. Badal has also asked for additional coal linkage and allocation of coal blocks for its proposed power project at Gidderbaha, so as to preclude any generation loss.
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