Modi Govt committed to support TN on power: Piyush Goyal

Chennai, Mar 7: The Centre is committed to supporting the power sector in Tamil Nadu including allocation of a major share of power from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project, as part of addressing the acute power shortage in the state, Union Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Saturday.

"I am very happy to inform the people of Tamil Nadu through you (media) that the Central government is committed to support the power sector in Tamil Nadu and is making several new initiatives to serve the people of Tamil Nadu," Goyal said.

He was talking to reporters after an interaction with Chief Minister O Panneerselvam and senior government officials at the Secretariat.

Elaborating, he said, "...I have agreed to put 100 MW of additional unallocated power from Kudankulam Thermal power Station Second stage (Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project) which will be shortly commissioned."

"So, out of the unallocated power, a major share will be given to Tamil Nadu. Very recently, we have already given 100 MW from stage one and now (we are) giving 100 MW additional from Stage II. From both stages you will have major share of unallocated power," he said.

He complemented the government besides officials for taking steps to bring down peak energy shortages to "a very small level".

PTI