Power supply to all villages by 2012

Bankura/Purulia, June 19 (UNI) Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde today announced the Centre's decision to provide power to all villages of India by 2012 and introduce an amendment bill in the next session of Parliament to check power theft.

These announcements were made while laying the foundation stones of 1200 MW Raghunathpur Thermal Power Project Plant at Dumdumi in Purulia and the 1000 MW Mejia Thermal Power Project (Phase II) in Bankura respectively.

Mr Shinde said the Raghunathpur Thermal Power Project would start up by 2010, with an investment of Rs 4,122 crore.

The Minister urged the West Bengal government to speed up the work of rural electrification and assured all help to the state in solving the power problem.

Referring to the Mejia Thermal Power Project, Mr Shinde said, "The export oriented project has been conceived to provide bulk power to the Commonwealth Games to be held in Delhi in 2010." Speaking on the occasion Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee said "The state government has fixed the power generation target at 7842 MW during the 11th Five Year Plan." The industrialist groups were coming forward to set up industry in Purulia and Bankura, instead of Durgapur, Burnpur and Hooghly, Mr Bhattacharjee added.

EDS: (Pick up suitably from earlier series) UNI