For all Maya’s power play,dark days still loom over UP

The availability of power from all sources including the state’s share in Central sector power plants,green field power projects on PPP model in pipeline,will be 12,433 MW,thus leaving a deficit of over 21,000 MW.

The gap between demand and supply is set to grow during the 12th Five Year plan ending in 2017. The power demand in 2017 is estimated to be around 47,563 MW while the availability is estimated to be only 20,831 MW,thus leaving a deficit of 26,732 MW.

Earlier this week,the state government floated tenders for the selection of the consultant for studying the feasibility of setting up five thermal power plants — Chitrakoot,Farrukhabad,Bulandsahar,Mau and Sandila — with a total installed capacity of 9,840 MW.

Besides the projects announced recently,the power projects — Anpara E,Jawaharpur,Dopha,Bara and Karchana — with total installed capacity of 8,940 MW are at various stages of consideration.

“At least 36 months is required for completing a thermal power project from the date of financial closure. All projects including Anpara E,Jawaharpur,Sonbhadra and the five projects announced this week,are far from financial closure,” said a senior official of the Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Ltd (UPPCL).

The Bara and Karchana projects have already been awarded to the private bidder and the process of land acquisition is yet to be completed.

“The flurry of announcement of projects by Mayawati is nothing but a drama. She is preparing for Mission 2012,with development as the poll plank for the Assembly elections,” said Lalji Tandon,former energy minister and BJP parliamentarian from Lucknow.

“The previous Mulayam Singh government also made a similar claim that the Dadri project in Ghaziabad would be set up by Reliance Energy to generate surplus power,but nothing materialised,” he added.

A spokesperson of UPPCL,however,claimed that the process for the implementation of the projects is underway.

The execution of the power projects is subject to the coal linkages to be executed by the Centre.

The current installed capacity of the UP Thermal Power Generation Corporation Ltd is just 4,022 MW,while the actual generation hovers between 2,600 and 2,900 MW.

The restricted demand for power in the state is over 10,000 MW. The gap is filled by imposing power cuts and import of over 3,500 to 4,000 MW from the Central sector power plants and other states.