Additional 1 lakh mw needed to electrify every house: Shinde

Ranchi, Sep 27 (UNI) The production of one lakh MW of power is required to meet the demands of electricity in every house in the country by 2012, Union Power Minister Shushil Kumar Shinde said here today after launching the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojna in Jharkhand.

Mr Shinde said the Centre was actively working to strengthen a supply network so that the extra power being generated in various areas of the country could be supplied to those facing a shortfall.

He said the network was being strengthened in such a way that power being generated in the Himalayan region could be supplied to Chennai and from there to other far away areas in the country.

Addressing people on this occasion he said the country was now producing 1,27,000 mw compared to 1363 mw in the pre-independence period. ''But it required to produce another 1,00,000 mw during the 10th and 11th five year plans to provide electricity to every house in the country. The central government had targetted to provide power to 25,000 villages by 2009,'' he said.

The Union Power Minister said for additional power production the Centre had decided to begin an ultra-mega project following which power plant of 4,000 mw production capacity would be set up in eight states with an expenditure of Rs 16,000 crore for each plant.

The list af eight states also include Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Mr Shinde said if states like Jharkhand, with resources of coal, were ready for the project then the Centre would also consider their demand.

He said the matter had been discussed with Chief Minister Madhu Koda and Chief Secretary M K Mandal and they had been advised to send a propoasal seeking establishment of the ultra-mega project after which the Centre would send a review team.

Mr Shinde, quoting the Chief Minister, said requirement of power in the state could be 1400 mw but the Centre was ready to give more, adding the state, with plenty of water and coal resources, would produce electricity more than the need and develop itself by selling the extra generated power.

About 8437 villages of eight districts--Dhanbad, Koderma,Bokaro, Gumla, Chatra, Giridih, Semdega and Hazaribagh--are to be electrified under the Rajiv Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojna.

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