Bangalore, May 7
Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said here today that Uttar Pradesh was responsible for the power crisis which had gripped Delhi by overdrawing 400 MW from the northern grid.
He said Uttar Pradesh had snatched power in excess of 400 MW from the northern grid, causing shortage in Delhi.
He said the state had been directed to maintain grid discipline and asked to restrain from overdrawing power. He said it would take at least one week for the position to stabilise.
Talking to mediapersons after inaugurating the Centre for Solid Waste Utilisation at the Centre for Power Research Institute here, he said Punjab and Haryana were restrained from overdrawing power during a meeting with Chief Secretaries and Power Secretaries in Delhi yesterday.
He said both states would have to pay a penal cost of Rs 5.70 per unit overdrawn instead of the standard rate of Rs 1.50 per unit.
Claiming that peak demand in summer had resulted in the acute power shortage gripping North India, he said the northern grid had a shortfall of 3,000 MW.
He said around 30,000 MW was available for supply to northern states.
The minister asserted that no directions had been given to commercial establishments in Delhi to close shop by 7.30 pm or to close for an additional day.
He said the Centre would ensure that Delhi did not face any power shortage.
He said the Capital would tap captive plant capacity to overcome the shortfall and hoped that the crisis would be resolved within a week.
Speaking about power generation, Mr Shinde said both northern and southern states had failed to enhance their power generation capabilities.
He said this had resulted in peak load shortage of 12 per cent and energy shortage of eight per cent. He said only additional generation capacity throughout the country could offset this.
He said the government was committed to augment power generation and would implement a mission to make power available at affordable prices to everyone by 2012.
Speaking about the establishment of ultra-mega-power projects, Mr Shinde said Andhra Pradesh and Orissa had recently decided to establish such projects.
He said states should not create obstructions in the establishment of such projects, failing which these would be granted to other competing states.
Shinde today warned that states which were “overdrawing” power from the northern grid would be referred to the regulatory commission.
A grid maintenance programme slated for this month had been postponed and would be taken up after May 31.
