Electricity rates might increase in Guj: Minister

Minister of State for Energy Saurabh Patel today claimed that a 5.7 per cent increase in freight in Railway budget would make electricity six paisa per unit costlier in Gujarat.
In his reply to a question by BJP MLA Bholabhai Gohel, the minister said, "increase in freight has resulted in additional burden of more than Rs 100 crore to the state exchequer as a result electricity cost to the electricity producing company will increase 6 paisa per unit."
However, he did not clarify whether the state government will pass on this hike to the consumers or not.
Alleging 'injustice' by the central government he said that, "instead of Western coal field which is nearer central government is allocating coal to Gujarat from far away south-eastern or southern coal fields which has resulted in costlier coal to the state."

He also added that as on March 31, 2011 coal transportation rate was Rs 1,648 per metric tonne and till December 31, 2012 it has increased to Rs 2,326 per metric tonne.
In his written replies to a series of questions related to power generation in the state, Patel has indicated that Gujarat government may fall short of its target of increasing state's power generation capacity, from both conventional and non-conventional sources.

"As on December 31, 2012 the power generation capacity of the state was 20,681 megawatt (MW), with 16,808 MW from conventional sources and 3,873 MW from non-conventional sources," he said.

"While the state had set a target of adding capacity of 3,314 MW in 2012-13 it has been able to achieve only 1,502 MW till December 31, 2012, which is less than half of the target," he added in a written reply.
He has further stated that the government had set a target of adding 2,486 MW of capacity in next two financial years that is by the end of 2014-15 which is almost half of what the state added in 2011-12 and proposes to add in 2012-13, combined.