Goel stresses on curbing power theft in Jharkhand

Jharkhand would get round the clock electricity supply if power pilferage could be checked in the state, Union Power Minister Piyush Goel said today.
"If power theft is checked, poor and farmers of the state would get 24 hours power," the union minister said while launching Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) and Deen Dayal Upadhyay Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) here.
"The state has enough power to cater to its requirement, but owing to pilferage of over 42 per cent, its development has been chocked," he said.
Earlier Goel told reporters that rural and urban power systems of Jharkhand would be renovated under IPDP with cost of Rs 2144 crore and under DDGJY with project cost of Rs 385 crores respectively. With this fund transmission line, cable, sub-stations would be renovated.

"Besides, a separate grid system would be set up in Jharkhand by March 2019 for irrigation of farm land in the state as well as domestic connection for farmers," he said.
The union minister said Jharkhand would become a major power house in the country with the commencement of 8000 mw National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) units at Patratu in which the state's share would be 85 per cent.
Goel, who also holds the coal portfolio, said drinking water of urban and colliery areas of would be sorted out in two years with treatment of pits water (coal mines water). He directed Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL) to launch the project for treatment of pits water so that drinking water crisis of the coal belt could be solved.