Centre sanctions Rs 18,000 cr for 2,500 mw of power

Ahmednagar, Jan 13 (UNI) The Central government has sanctioned Rs 18,000 crore to Neyveli Lignite Corporation Ltd, a public sector undertaking, under the 11th Five Year Plan for various projects across the country for generation of 2,500 mega watt of electricity.

An announcement to this effect was made by NLC chairman and managing director S Jairaman at Shirdi in the district yesterday after visiting the Sai Baba temple.

Talking to reporters, Mr Jairaman said NLC has at present mines of 24 million tonne capacity and the work on new mines of six million tonne capacity is underway, which will be completed by December. For this, the undertaking will spend approximately Rs 2,250 crore. With this, the company can generate an additional 750 MW of power.

He said the work on 1,000 MW capacity power generation project is in progress at Surat in Gujarat. The estimated cost of the project is Rs 5,000 crore. The work on another project of the same capacity is underway at village Singrauli in Siddhi district of Madhya Pradesh. It will also be built at Rs 5,000 crore. Both the projects will be operational by the year 2012, he said.

Mr Jairaman said the undertaking has also started the work on a 1,000 MW coal-based power generation project at Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu, which will be completed by 2012. For this, the coal will be imported and it will cost the company about Rs 4,500 crore.

He said the Centre has given its consent in the 11th Five Year plan for the proposed mines of 8 million tonne capacity. The work on new mines is on at village Barsinhsir in Bikaner district of Rajasthan. The mines that have the capacity of about two million tonnes of coal can generate about 250 MW of power. For this, it will spend about Rs 1,300 crore. These projects will be completed by December.

He said the Orissa government has granted its permission for setting up of a 2,000 MW project of Coal India Ltd at village Jhorsuguda, near Raulkela. For this, the company has asked for the allocation of 1,000 acres of land. The work on the project will commence after the acquisition of land, he added.

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