Govt marginally reduces investments by seven power PSUs to Rs 44,468 crore

The government has marginally reduced total investments by seven state-owned power companies, including Power Grid Corporation, by 0.5 per cent to Rs 44,468.65 crore for 2020-21. This compares with revised estimate of Rs 44,693.34 crore for the ongoing financial year.

The highest reduction of 30 per cent in investment is done for Power Grid to Rs 10,500 crore compared with Rs 15,000 crore as Budget Estimate (BE) for 2019-20. This investment figure was not revised, according to the Budget document presented in Parliament on Saturday.

In case of NTPC, investment for 2020-21 was increased to Rs 21,000 crore from Rs 20,000 crore BE for 2019-20.

The investment by hydro power giant NHPC is increased to Rs 5,401.29 crore for 2020-21 from the revised estimate (RE) of Rs 5,199.29 crore for the ongoing fiscal. The BE stood at Rs 3,806 crore. Damodar Valley Corporation's investment has been pegged at Rs 2,342 crore for 2020-21, higher than RE of Rs 1410.4 crore for 2019-20. The BE figure stood at Rs 1,835.26 crore for this fiscal.

According to the Budget, North Eastern Electric Power Corporation will invest Rs 564.36 crore in 2020-21, compared with RE of Rs 944.64 crore for this fiscal. The BE was Rs 925.79 crore.

Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam will invest Rs 2,880.00 crore in 2020-21 compared with Rs 1,200 crore budgeted for 2019-20.

Tehri Hydro Development Corporation will invest Rs 1,781 crore in next fiscal compared with RE of Rs 939.00 crore for 2019-20. The BE for the company was Rs 900 crore for the ongoing fiscal.

According to Budget 2020-21, total expenditure of the power ministry has also been pegged slightly higher at Rs 21,881.28 crore for 2020-21, compared with RE of Rs 21,861.74 crore for 2019-20. It was budgeted at Rs 22,322.28 crore for the fiscal.