Mah govt to enhance power gen capacity: Governor

Mumbai, Mar 14 (UNI) Maharashtra Governor S M Krishna today said the state government has planned a time bound programme of generating additional power to tide over the acute shortage.

Addressing a joint session of both houses of state legislature marking the commencement of the Budget session, Mr Krishna said 10,000 mw will become available from central and state projects as well as private sector participation.

Along with enhancing the generation capacity programme, the state government has also decided to improve electricity distribution system of the state and has therefore planned investment of Rs 14,000 crore for strengthening it within the next five years. He said a further investment of Rs 21,000 crore will be provided for strengthening the transmission system.

Mr Krishna also reiterated Maharashtra government's commitment to resolve the long pending border dispute with neighbouring Karnataka.

He said the state government has filed a special civil suit in the Supreme Court to resolve the issue.

Maharashtra has retained the status of the 'first preferred destination for Indian and Foreign investors'.

During the last three years, the average industrial growth was nine per cent and the state contributes 13.1 per cent to the national GDP, he added.

The Centre will provide the viability gap funding for the second phase of the Mumbai Metro project, Mr Krishna said.

Work on the Versova-Andheri-Ghatkopar phase of the Metro project has been taken up. The Charkop-Bandra and Mankhurd corridor have also been approved by the Centre, he added.

Meanwhile, the thanks giving motion to the Governor for his address was tabled in both the houses of the Maharashtra Legislature In the Assembly, the motion was tabled by Prof Janardan Chandurkar (Cong) which was supported by Shashikant Shinde (NCP).

In the Council, the motion was tabled by Ms Sudha Joshi (Cong) and supported by Gurunath Kulkarni (NCP).

UNI