India's power production falls short by 2.7 percent

New Delhi, Mar 12 (ANI): The Union Government on Friday said that electricity generation in the country is running 2.7 percent short of the set target of 720.88 Billion Units in the current fiscal.

Replying to a question in the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Power, Bharatsinh Solanki, said: "The electricity generation in the country including import of power from Bhutan was 700.73 Billion Unit (BU), which was 20.15 BU (2.7 percent) short of the target of 720.88 BU during the current Financial Year 2009-10 so far."

The actual generation represented a growth of 6.37 percent as compared to the actual generation of 658.74 BU during the corresponding period of last year.

The status of electricity generation in the country is reviewed on regular basis in CEA/MOP.

Solanki reiterated that the distribution of electricity in a State / UT is under the purview of the concerned State Government/UT administration/Power Utilities.

However, Solanki informed that to improve the electricity distribution system in the country, the Union Government has launched two centrally sponsored schemes, namely, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) and Restructured Accelerated Power Development and Reforms Programme (R-APDRP).

The objective of the RGGVY is to electrify over one lakh un-electrified villages and to provide free electricity connections to 2.34 crore rural BPL households.

Solanki informed members the focus of R-APDRP is on actual, demonstrable performance in terms of Aggregate Technical and Commercial (AT and C) loss reduction.

Projects under the scheme are to be taken up in two parts while part-A includes the projects for establishment of base line data and IT applications for energy accounting and auditing and IT-ased consumers service centres, part-B includes the regular distribution system strengthening projects.(ANI)