Kudgi power plant in K'taka to be commissioned in 2017: Govt

State-run NTPC's 4,000 MW super thermal power plant in Karnataka will be commissioned in 2017, government said in Rajya Sabha today even as it asserted that India is surplus in electricity with only constraints being in North East and Karnataka due to poor transmission ability.
"The Kudgi thermal power project in Karnataka will be commissioned in 2017," Power Minister Piyush Goyal said while replying to questions.
The project, comprising three units of 800 mw each, aims at meeting the growing energy demand in the four southern states proportionately, he said.
Goyal said Karnataka is facing power shortage due to less hydropower generation in the wake of drought. That apart, the state has poor transmission network, he said.

"Today, India has surplus power, only constraint is in North East and Karnataka due to poor transmission ability," he said, adding that North East region too has poor transmission infrastructure.
On delayed projects of NTPC, the Minister said two projects -- Solapur Super Thermal Power Station (2x660 MW) in Maharasthra and MUNPL Meja TPP-JV (2x660 MW) in Uttar Pradesh -- are delayed due to specific reasons.

These two projects have been taken up through India's Ambassador in Japan and the matter has also been taken up with the External Affairs Ministry, he added.
On the issue of declaring a "deed of joint undertaking" while participaing in bids for supply of power equipments, the Minister said this has been made mandatory to ensure joint venture firms are equally responsible for supply of power equipments after winning the bids.

"I think, this is a good practice," he said.