MP to become self-sufficient in power by next year: Vijaywargiya

Jabalpur, June 15 (UNI) The BJP Government in Madhya Pradesh has made serious efforts to improve power situation in the past three years and the state would become self-sufficient in energy demand by the end of next year, Power Minister Kailash Vijaywargiya has said.

Mr Vijaywargiya told UNI here that the Shivraj Singh Chouhan Government has fulfilled poll promises of providing road, water and electricity.

The state has shed its tag of being a 'Bimaru' state and joined the league of developing states.

He alleged that conditions of roads had deteriorated and people faced long-hour power cuts during former Chief Minister Digvijay Singh's 10 year-tenure.

''It appeared that 'Lantern' age had returned in Madhya Pradesh.

However, the BJP Government had improved the power situation to a great extent and succeeded in providing adequate power to public, farmer and students,'' he said.

While the previous government failed to set up even one power plant for power generation, the government had achieved success in not only generating power but also implementing action plan to meet power demand in next 10 years.

He said the 500 MW Birsinghpur thermal power plant would be inaugurated shortly. The plant would help in lessening the gap between demand and supply of power in the state.

Besides, power generation would start from 1,000 MW Malwa thermal power plant in Khandwa, 520 MW Maheshwar hydro-power project and 120 MW Bargi power project.

Likewise, an action plan was being chalked out for generating 1,000 MW power from wind energy.

The Power Minister said considerable success had been achieved in reducing transmission loss from 49 per cent three years back to 39 per cent at present.

He said a target had been set to bring down the transmission loss to 20 per cent.

He said industrial power theft had been controlled to a great extent.

UNI