Punjab to mobilise additional 12,212mw power: Badal

Holding that removal of power crisis is the top priority of his Government, Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal today said that the state government had taken several steps to mobilise additional 12,212mw of electricity in immediate near future.

"The Punjab government has done a long term planning on the power front keeping in mind that the load of electricity is going to further multiply in future," the chief minister told a press conference here.

He said that the total power available with the state was 6841mw as against a demand of 9786mw. There is a huge shortage of 2379mw in the state, he added.

Badal said that the state government had added a total 658mw of power in the last two years.

He said that at present four thermal power plants - Goindwal Sahib (540mw), Talwandi Sabo (1980mw), Rajpura (1320mw) and Gidderbaha (2640mw) - are coming up in the state.

"Machinery worth Rs1,000 crore has been ordered for Talwandi Sabo thermal plant and technical bid for Rajpura plant is being evaluated and financial bid would be opened by October 31, this year," he said.

He said that the state government is pursuing the case for sanction of coal link with the Union Coal inistry for the Gidderbaha thermal plant.

Besides, a 168mw Shahpur Kandi hydro project is also coming up with the assistance of the Centre, he said.

"The Shahpur Kandi project will be executed by the state irrigation department and cmpleted with the next four to five years with a cost of Rs1628 crore," he said.