Maharashtra to get 1400 MW from Dabhol plant by May 31: GoM

New Delhi, Mar 20 (UNI) Maharashtra would get 1400 Megawatt power from Dabhol project by May 31 to help it tide over the power crisis, a Group of Minister, headed by External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, decided today.

Sources said GAIL (India) Limited has assured to provide gas for the Dabhol project while the government directed it to work faster on constructing necessary pipelines for this purpose.

With the supply of gas the Dabol plant would start producing 1400 MW power by the end of May.

The Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry has promised to provide adequate gas by November 2007 so by December this year, Maharashtra would get 2100 MW of power which would solve the power crisis of the state to a large extent. It was also considered to constitute a committee at the central level to decide about the rate for power supply and other financial aspects.

Apart from Mr Mukherjee, Agriculture Minsiter Sharad Pawar, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, Law Minister H R Bhardwaj, Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal, Minister of state in Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh and state power minister Dilip V Patil attended the meeting.

UNI