The Hindu Business Line : Monitor power capacity addition targets, Centre tells States

Energetic call: The Power Minister, Mr Sushilkumar Shinde (right), and the Power Secretary, Mr Anil K. Razdan, at the Chief Secretaries conference on ‘Power sector issues’ in the Capital on Tuesday. —

Our Bureau

New Delhi, Feb. 19 The Centre has asked State Governments to undertake “rigorous monitoring” of power projects in order to minimise slippages in the capacity addition target of 78,577 MW set for the Eleventh Plan period.

Addressing a ‘Conference of the Chief Secretaries of States and Union Territories’ here, the Union Power Minister, Mr Sushilkumar Shinde, said that thought it had been decided that placement of orders for power projects proposed to be commissioned during the Eleventh Plan was to be completed by December last year, orders for projects totalling 11,125 MW in the State sector were still to be placed.

Asking the representatives of the States to ensure that all the orders are placed latest by March 31 this year, Mr Shinde said that while the Centre was fully committed to achieving the target of ‘Power for All’ by the end of current Plan, the States would have to play a “major role” in achieving this goal.

Observing that over the last four decades, the Central share in the generation has been constantly increasing while that of the States has been sliding downwards, the Minister said that States should actively pursue their capacity addition programmes and not depend only on the Central sector or private sector projects.

Open access issue

On the issue of open access in transmission and distribution, Mr Shinde urged the States to prepare a clear programme for the expansion and strengthening of their transmission and distribution systems with definite timelines and monitor their implementation closely.

The day-long conference was convened by the Power Ministry to discuss issues related to power sector under various themes such as accelerated capacity addition, reduction of AT&C (aggregate technical and commercial) losses, rural electrification, implementation of open access in transmission and distribution, strengthening intra-state transmission and distribution under the State sector and grid interactive solar power generation.

More Stories on : Power | States

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page