M A I N   N E W S

Punjab to get 150 MW power from Rajasthan
Prashant Sood
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 17
Conceding Punjab’s long-pending request for more power to help it reduce the gap between demand and supply, the Centre has decided to provide the state additional 150 MW from the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station.

Union Power Minister P.M. Sayeed assured Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh here today that the state would start getting additional 150 MW power from October 1.

The Chief Minister apprised Mr Sayeed of power shortage faced by the state due to low level of water in dam reservoirs.

He said the state was facing a shortage of 90 lakh units per day that could increase if catchment areas of the Bhakra Dam reservoir did not receive adequate rainfall in the coming days.

He said the water level in the reservoir was 87 feet less as compared to that recorded last year.

He said the power requirement for the agriculture sector was high at present with paddy crop requiring a lot of water.

He said re-sowing had started in about 1.3 lakh acre of flood-affected area and plantation of rabi crops would also start soon.

Expressing concern at huge cuts in supply of power to the rural domestic sector, he urged the Centre to increase state’s share in the Nathpa-Jhakhri power project.

He urged Mr Sayeed to take steps to curb ‘trading’ by states that had surplus power.

He said Punjab had purchased power at Rs 6 per unit, while giving it to farmers at 57 paise per unit.

He said with the availability of additional power, the state would review the decision of giving two weekly offs to the industrial sector.

Capt Amarinder Singh, who met senior party leaders in the Capital regarding the choice of candidates for the two byelections in the state, gave indications of his plans to reap electoral dividend from the state government’s move of abrogating water accords with neighbouring states.

Maintaining that the Congress would win both byelections, he said the performance of his government, including its action of ‘saving the state on the water front’, would be among the campaign issues.

He said candidates had been finalised and their names would be declared after approval from the AICC.

He said the Congress would contest both seats and would not agree to any demand of supporting the CPM candidate from Garhshankar.

He said Defence Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is the AICC in charge of Punjab, was likely to visit the state on September 24.

Responding to queries, he said he had not sought an appointment with Congress president as she was ‘pre-occupied’.