Rs 1,200 cr investment for power sector in Kerala: Shinde

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 5 (UNI) Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today said investment to the tune of Rs 1,200 crore will be made to strengthen the power infrastructure in Kerala.

Addressing mediapersons after dedicating the Madurai-Thiruvananthapuram 400 KV transmission line and sub-station of the Power Grid Corporation of India, the Minister said the new line would improve the power situation in the state.

Another Rs 1,200 crore would be invested for the proposed power highway connecting Thiruneliveli-Kochi-Thrissur, he added.

He said Centre would also consider the state's proposal to extend the power highway up to Kozhikode to solve the trasmission problems in the power sector.

Regarding the bifurcation of state electricity boards, the minister said it could not be interpreted as privatisation. In fact, this step would be advantageous to the people as power theft and transmission loss could be brought to minimum.

He said the Centre was committed to provide electricity to every village in the country by the year 2012. Out of the target of 40,000 villages, electricity was already provided in 12,000 of them.

Speaking on the occasion, Kerala Electricity Minister A K Balan said Kerala was fast moving towards a power highway connecting the south and north.

If the Koodamkulam-Edaman-Ernakyulam-Thrissur-Ayirur-Mysore 400 KV line became a reality, it could create an industrial revolution in the state, he added.

Power Grid Chairman and Managing Director R P Singh said a sum of Rs 800 crore would be invested in the state during the next three years to improve the distribution network.

In his address, Union Power Secretary R V Shahi also assured the state that more funds would be made available for taking up rural electrification projects.

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