Power situation will ease by March: Jairam Ramesh

Bangalore, Nov 9 (UNI) Union Minister of State for Power Jairam Ramesh today said the power situation will eased March, next year in the country, particularly in south India, as all nuclear plants will begin to work to their full capacity.

Mr Ramesh told reporters after his meeting with Karnataka Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa to review the power situation in the state, that all the atomic power plants including Kalpakkam, Kaiga, Kudankulam will begin to work to their full capacity with a full flow of uranium.

Regarding a demand from Karnataka for setting up of a 2000 MW unit of the NTPC, he said the Centre will sign an agreement in the next 30 days.

''It will be a joint venture with the state governemnt and 50 per cent of the power generated will go to the state and the rest will be sold outside state,'' he said.

To a question he said the place for the Rs 10,000 crore proposed unit is yet to be decided, he said.

He said the Centre has in principle agreed to extend all the financial benefits to the 4000 mw unit to be set up in Bijapur district but would not extend the ultra mega power project status.

UNI SIV BDP RAI2308