Efforts on to increase power generation: Shinde

Khandwa (Madhya Pradesh), June 3: Expressing concern over the widening demand and supply gap in the power sector, Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde said concerted efforts were being made to increase the electricity generation capacity by one lakh megawatt.

''India was facing severe power crisis despite the present generation capacity of 1.25 lakh megawatt as compared to a total capacity 1,363 MW, including 500 MW hydel, at the time of independence,'' Mr Shinde said yesterday, while dedicating the 1000 MW hydel station of the Indira Sagar Project at Narmada Nagar near here.

The project was completed two months ahead of schedule.

A target had been fixed to increase the capacity by one lakh megawatt and the government was eager to achieve it as early as possible, he said.

While annual energy consumption per 100 persons in India was only 600 units, it was 190 units in China and 22,000 units in America, Mr Shinde pointed out.

Pointing out that foreign capital investment had increased in many sectors in the country, he lamented that it was least in the energy sector. Foreign investors were not coming forward to invest in the energy sector after the bitter experience in the Dabhol power project, Mr Shinde said, adding that efforts to regain the confidence of investors were bearing fruits.

While emphasising on the need to increase power generation, the Power Minister said new experiments were being made to check power theft. Private sector and self-help groups were being involved in power distribution.

Under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification scheme, he said, such organisations, which would be given the responsibility for power distribution and bill recovery, would be supplied power at wholesale. This will help check power theft to a great extent, he hoped.

The government had already invested Rs 5,000 crore for rural electrification and an equal amount was proposed to be invested further, he said.

On the request of state Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Mr Shinde assured to include all districts in Madhya Pradesh under rural electrification scheme.

Referring to the rehabilitation of the families displaced due to various projects on the Narmada river, the Union Minister directed the state government to ensure proper rehabilitation of all dam oustees by providing them better houses and giving preference to the oustees for employment in the river projects.

Shortage of fund will not come in the way of proper resettlement, he added.

Mr Chouhan said he subscribed to the view that development projects should be kept above party politics. The state government was making efforts to tide over severe power crisis.

Narmada Hydro-Electric Development Corporation had already invested Rs 6,500 crore for hydel projects in Madhya Pradesh, its Executive Director S K Dodeja said.

UNI