State demands more projects in power sector
Expressbuzz
Monday, November 16, 2009 11:52 AM IST

NEW DELHI: Kerala has urged the Centre to approve more gas-based projects in the XIIth Plan, while revealing the State’s achievements in the power sector during the XIth Plan period.

Expressing displeasure over the alleged discriminative stand of the Centre towards Kerala, the State sought the intervention of the Power Ministry to press the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry and the Coal Ministry to approve more gas and coal during the summer season, when demand for power would reach its peak in the State.

At the State Power Ministers’ Conference in New Delhi on Sunday, State Electricity Minister A K Balan said that there was enough land available in the State for gas-based projects.

“As per the plan reports of the Central Electricity Authority, the total capacity addition expected during the XIth Plan in the power sector from the state was 160 mw, and we are in a position to surpass the target”, the minister said.

Supplementing his stand with the figures, the minister said that the discriminative stand had to be corrected and urged the Ministry of Power to ensure that projects be sanctioned in all the districts in the State.

“Out of the 563 projects sanctioned nationwide with a Rs 25,000-crore outlay, Kerala has got only one project with Rs 19.75-crore outlay under the RGGVY scheme”, he said.

“Though the State had approached the Ministry for the sanction of RGGVY projects for all the districts in the State, sanction was given only for Idukki district,” the minister said.

The minister said that the State was carrying out a laudable performance in the power sector. The Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kolkata, (ICC) has found in its study that the overall performance of the State in the power sector was remarkable, and has ranked Kerala at the third spot among the states.

The State would be conferred with the award for its performance in the power sector at the India Energy Summit, to be held here on November 19.

“The admiration by the ICC came as a reward for the work done in the power sector, despite the limitations. This would give a boost for the sector in the State”, the minister said.