Slippages in capacity augmentation targets in power sector

Accepting slippages in capacity augmentation targets in the power sector during the first two years of the 11th Plan, the government today said bottlenecks in road transportation and movement of utilities led to delays.

Answering supplementaries in Rajya Sabha during Question Hour, Minister of state for Power Bharatsinh Solanki said, "Delay in placement of orders for main plant and equipment and balance of plants, delayed supply of equipments and time consumed in movement of utilities and environment and forest clearances, led to the slippages."

The minister said as against the target capacity addition of 12,039 Mw in 2007-08 and 7,530 Mw in 2008-09, actual addition in capacity has been 9,263 Mw in 2007-08 and 3,454 Mw in 2008-09.

He, however, said the government is taking corrective measures to improve power augmentation and in the 11th Plan the power generation target is 78,000 Mw.

Solanki said recently four ultra mega power plant (UMPPs) projects, each having a capacity of 4,000 Mw, have been awarded by the government.

These UMPPs are to come up at Sasan (Madhya Pradesh), Mundra (Gujarat), Tilaiya (Jharkhand), and Krishnapatnam (Andhra Pradesh).

While two units each of Sasan and Mundra are to come up during the ongoing 11th Plan, Minister for Power Sushilkumar Shinde said that four UMPPs are to be completed in the 12th Plan period.

Solanki said though these projects consume some time in taking shape, the government wants to start work fast.