UP to re-energise power plants

Capacity of state-owned plants proposed to be augmented by 1,500 Mw from existing 4,433 Mw

To tide over persistent power crisis in Uttar Pradesh, the state government is upgrading and modernising existing thermal power plants at an outlay of Rs 1,070 crore.

With this, the installed capacity of state-owned plants is proposed to be augmented by 1,500 Mw from the existing 4,433 Mw to about 6,000 Mw.

The demand and supply gap in UP has been widening and at peak hours, the chasm is almost 3,000 Mw, especially during summers.

This year is no different and the Akhilesh Yadav government has routinely come under severe attack from all quarters over the prevailing power crisis necessitating power cuts and rostering.

State power utility UP Power Corporation Limited (UPPCL) is working overtime to help the situation by inviting bids for power supply, buying from energy exchanges and entering into mutual power supply contract with other states, including Himachal Pradesh.

Since coming to power, the ruling Samajwadi Party has put the onus of laggard power sector on the previous Mayawati regime, alleging not a single Mw capacity was added during her rule nor any plant upgraded/renovated.

The Akhilesh government has alleged the Mayawati dispensation had left the state exchequer empty by procuring electricity on credit.

State prisons and food and civil supplies minister Rajendra Chaudhary, who is also the SP spokesperson, has said the previous Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) had scrapped all the power projects proposed during the Mulayam Singh Yadav rule in UP.

Meanwhile, capacity addition to the tune of 4,850 Mw is underdevelopment, wherein the state would get 4,580 Mw as its share of power. Besides, capacity additional of 3,300 Mw is underdeveloped under the joint venture route, of which UP would get 2,191 Mw.

To improve power transmission, 61 transmission centres and 1,837 km of transmission lines are being established in the state. Electrification of 3,854 villages and 30,670 hamlets at an estimated cost of Rs 3,453 crore is underway.