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Many power projects on the anvil, says minister

Union Power Minister Rangarajan Kumaramangalam has said that most of the state governments had completed the formalities for setting up the state electricity regulatory authority, but the process was being delayed only in the north-eastern states.

Talking to the media in Tiruchirapalli, he said the delay in the north-eastern states was on account of their demand that they be treated as one zone.

He said the Centre had sanctioned a Rs 700 million loan to the Andhra Pradesh State Electricity Board for erecting a high tension line between Jaipur in Rajasthan and Ramagundam in Andhra Pradesh. Once the line was erected, power transmission between Ramagundam and Tamil Nadu would improve, he added.

He said it was proposed to lay a 1000 MW transmission line between Talchar in Orissa and Tamil Nadu via Kolar, Bangalore and Hosur at an estimated cost of Rs 30 billion.

The minister said the Union environment ministry's clearance was awaited for the 2,000 MW joint venture power project, proposed to be set up at Cheyyur, in Cuddalore district, at an estimated cost of Rs 60 billion. The National Thermal Power Corporation and the Neyveli Lignite Corporation would jointly promote another 2000 MW power project at the NLC's third mine cut at an estimated cost of Rs 60 billion, he added.

On the proposed private sector naptha-based power plant near Tiruchirapalli, Kumaramangalam said the project would have two units (110 MW each) and the state government had already cleared one unit.

But the government did not clear the second unit due to some problems in fuel allocation. He would hold discussions with the promotors to make alternative arrangements, he added.

UNI