Shinde urges for research in rural electrification

Bangalore, May 7 (UNI) Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde today urged scientists to give priority to research in providing rural electrification as the country's economy depends on the upliftment of villages.

Mr Shinde inaugarating the Centre for Collaborative and Advanced Research and the Centre for Industrial Solid Waste Management at the Central Power Reserach Institute here today said that the government has a mission to provide power for all at an affordable price by 2012.

He said that the government has planned to provide sufficient power in the next three years to overcome the present power crises and asked the officials to make sustained efforts to achieve this vision.

India currently faces peak load shortages of the order of 12 per cent and energy shortage of eight per cent respectively and this calls for addition of more generating capacity which requires investment of high order, he said.

''The policy goals will have shifted from energy conservation to energy efficiency,'' he said.

Referring to the starting of Ultra Mega Power projects, he cautioned the states to think before putting obstructions to development activities. Otherwise, he said the projects may be grabbed by the competing states.

He said that two more states - Andhra Pradesh and Orissa have joined the present club of five Ultra Power projects.

''The bidding would be given to those developers who come up with proposals of providing power at a cheaper rate,'' he said.

UNI SIV ARB PM1610