Land a problem in setting up power substations: Nirupam

The West Bengal government is finding it difficult to set up power sub-stations as landowners are not willing to part with their land for such projects, Power Minister Nirupam Sen said today.

Replying to questions in the Assembly, he said while the government has plans to set up more sub-stations, augment the capacity of existing ones and expand the transmission network, it was finding it difficult to acquire land for such projects owing to the reluctance of the landowners.

Citing an example, he said landowners in some areas of Howrah district have raised objections to the laying of overhead transmission wires on their land.

Since the West Bengal Power Development Corporation and National Thermal Power Corporation are unable to meet the demand, power is bought from DVC and some other utilities, but these too fail sometimes to supply the required amount, Sen said. He said that to tide over the problem, the government has set up a 'pump storage' facility in Purulia district, whereby power in the off-peak period is used to pump water into a reservoir which is later utilised to generate hydel power when the demand rises during the peak period.