M A I N   N E W S

Punjab to have N-power plant
From Chander Parkash
Tribune News Service

BATHINDA, May 27 — The Punjab Government has set up a five-member committee to identify a suitable piece of land for the setting up a nuclear power plant after it was offered to it by the Central Government in the recent past.

Official sources said the five-member committee under the chairmanship of Chairman of the Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB), Mr G.S. Sohal, would submit its report shortly. Two other members of the committee were Director, Agriculture and Director, Animal Husbandry. The Chief Minister Punjab, Mr Parkash Singh Badal had reportedly approved the project.

The sources added that only condition which had been laid down by the Central Government was that there should be no population in the radius of 15 km from the piece of land to be chosen for setting up the power plant.

The sources added that details of the capacity of nuclear power plant duration and cost of the project would be worked out after site for it was selected.

This was for the second time, the move for the setting up of a nuclear power plant had been initiated in Punjab. The earlier proposal to set up nuclear power plant near the Patran area in Patiala district was dropped by the central government.

In another decision, the PSEB authorities had initiated a move to make Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) at Lehra Mohabbat in this district, first superthermal power plant of Punjab by setting up three more units of 250 MW capacity each. The central government has already given permission for the setting up two units of 250 MW each. The PSEB authorities had moved the case of third unit to central government for necessary sanction. The construction of two units would start shortly as all necessary formalities had been completed. Two units of 210 MW capacity each were already working here. The total power produced from this superthermal power plant would be around 1170 MW.

The PSEB authorities were also in an advance stage to strike a deal with the Himachal Pradesh Electricity Board for setting up hydro-electric projects in that state as joint venture.