14.2 per cent peak shortage of power plagues country

New Delhi, Mar 12 (UNI) The government today said the country is facing an 14.2 per cent shortage of power during peak time and a overall shortage of 9.5 per cent during 2006-07 (till February).

''There is overall shortage of power in the country. The shortages vary from state to state and season to season, as well as time of day depending on the demand and supply of power,'' Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said.

The minister said the main reasons for the shortfall in the plan target include delay in technology tie-up for super-critical thermal power projects, slippages of hydro projects mainly due to delay in clearances, investment decisions, award of works, geological surprises and court cases, delay in financial closure of private projects, delay in critical supplies by the equipment manufacturers and non-availability of adequate gas.

In 2005-06, Mr Shinde said, there was a peak shortage of 12.3 per cent and an energy shortage of 8.4 per cent.

The National Electricity Policy envisages ''Power for all by 2012'' and per capita availability of power to be increased to over 1,000 units by 2011-12.

To achieve this, total capacity addition of about 1,00,000 MW is required during Tenth and Eleventh Plan period, of which a capacity of 23,250 MW is likely to be added during tenth plan.

The capacity addition of 76,460 MW comprising 16,253 MW hydro, 57,047 MW thermal and 3,160 MW of nuclear has been provisonally proposed.

''Out of 76,460 MW a total 44,358 MW (58 per cent of the proposed capacity) is already under construction,'' Mr Shinde told the Rajya Sabha in a written reply.

The Minister said India has a per capita consumption of 606 MWs electricity as compared to United States' 13,338 MWs, Australia's 11,126 MWs, France 7,689 MWs, Germany 7,030 MWs, Japan 8,076 MWs, Russia 5,642 MWs and United Kingdom's 6,206 MWs.

During the Tenth plan, an amount of about Rs 74,300 crore is likely to be spent by CPSUs. Under the Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme, since 2002-03, an amount of Rs 6,574.89 crore has been released under APDRP investment component.

In addition, an amount of Rs 1,587.53 crore has been released under APDRP incentive component and Rs 3,347 crore under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana for rural electrification.

UNI