CM urges Centre to set up gas-based power plant
Tribune News Service

Shimla, November 15
Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal has urged the Centre to set up a 500 MW gas-based power plant in the state and increase its allocation from the Utra Mega Power Projects to 400 MW from the existing 100 MW.

Speaking at the Power Ministers’ conference in New Delhi today, he said hydro-power generation in the state declined drastically during winter from October to March due to reduction in discharge of rivers, forcing power cuts.

The gap between demand and supply was likely to touch 800 MW by the year 2012 due to rapid industrialisation in the state and called for timely action in this regard.

He also requested the Centre to fix 15 per cent share under un-allocated quota available at its disposal from October to April each year as a matter of policy to ensure regular electricity supply to consumers in the state.

He requested for setting up a mechanism for providing grants and soft loans to hill states for development of hydroelectric projects and establishment of transmission network which required huge financial investments. He also sought clearance for the state’s proposal for levying of generation tax on such projects.

Dhumal stated that the state had harnessed 6,500 MW out of the total potential of 23,000 MW and the installed capacity will cross 10,000 MW by the end of 11th plan and 15,000 MW by the end of the 12th plan.

The projects slated for completion in the 11th plan included 1,000 MW Karchham- Wangtu, 800 MW Kol Dam, 800 MW Parbati-II, 231 MW Chamera-III, 192 MW Allian Duhangan, 100 MW Malana-II, 100 MW Shorang, 100 MW Uhl and 70 MW Budhil, which together add about 3,500 MW capacity the remaining period of the 11th plan.

The Chief Minister requested the Centre to empower the states to give techno-economic clearance to projects upto Rs 2,500 crore, which had not been included in national electricity plan, to reduce time for in pre-implementation clearances. He said Himachal should be included in the policy which proposed to lower the criteria for giving mega-project status to hydroelectric ventures in the north eastern states.

He also wanted revision of the population criteria of 10,000 or above to 5,000 for hilly towns under restructured APDRP as population in many towns, which was 5,000 in 2001, had almost doubled.