Rs 800 crore budget support to APDRP scheme

New Delhi, Feb 28 (UNI) Finance Minister P Chidambaram today proposed an increase in the budgetary support for Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Project (APDRP) from Rs 650 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 800 crore next year.

He said the APDRP has significantly reduced Aggregate Technical and Commercial (ATC) losses in 213 towns and is being restructured to cover all district headquarters and towns with a population of more than 50,000.

In his budget speech 2007-08, the finance minister said the Ministry of Power has awarded two Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) in Sasan and Mundra and seven more are under process, ''We are confident that at least two more will be awarded by July, 2007,'' he said.

''I propose to increase the allocation under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidhyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) from Rs 3,000 crore in 2006-07 to Rs 3,983 crore in 2007-08,'' the minister said.

He said other initiatives like setting up of merchant power plants by private developers and private partcipation in transmission projects, have been taken by the Power Ministry.

He said electricity generation has recorded a growth rate of 7.5 per cent in April-December this year.

''However, as we complete the Tenth Plan, we would have added only 23,163 MW of additional capacity in the five years period including 16,339 MW added in the three years beginning 2004-05.

Hence its imperative that we take new initiatives,'' the minister said.

UNI