Centre to support state on power ventures
Varinder Singh/Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 12
Advising states to generate more power and become self-reliant on power front, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has said the Central government was all out to support Punjab in its power generation ventures. Meanwhile, criticising the Shiv Sena tirade against Shah Rukh Khan he said: “India is for everyone and no one can divide the country in the name of regionalism”.

“Every kind of protection would be provided to those who are under threat. India cannot be allowed to be disintegrated. Each and every Indian is free to live and earn anywhere in the country,” said former Maharashtra CM Sushil Kumar Shinde, who was here for “Independent Power Producers Meet” held today.

Talking about Centre’s initiative for Punjab on power front, Shinde said: “The Centre is ready to extend every possible support to the state for the generation of power”.

“Punjab can set up LPG-based or other power generation plants and we will support the state government. I have already talked to the Chief Minister regarding the matter. I think that states should become self-reliant by generating more power. They should not look towards the Centre as demand for electricity is growing everyday,” said Shinde.

Shinde was all praise for the private players, who according to him, were making a significant contribution in the power sector by generating more and more power.

“Their share is increasing and we are getting more and more investments in power sectors thanks to private players. If their share was just about 16 per cent till about two years ago, now it has touched 28 per cent and we are hoping that it will reach the 50 per cent mark shortly,” said Shinde.

Talking about free power to farmers and others, Shinde said states could provide farmers or the poor with free power, but those making provisions for free power (read politicians) should ensure that the money spent on the exercise must be deposited with the state boards.

“Even when I was the Maharashtra CM in 2004, I did the same. We had provided free power to famine-affected people for four months, but I had ensured that the state power board got an amount of Rs 400 crores for supporting them at the behest of the state government,” he said.

Shinde said as many as, 11 ultra-mega power projects, each costing about Rs 16,000 crores, were in the pipeline so as to make the country self-reliant in the power sector.

“Five of these projects have already come up in good shape. We are satisfied about these projects,” said Shinde adding that 78,000 MW of power was scheduled to be generated during the next two years of the the 11th five year plan.