Nabha out, Rajpura in as farmers oppose power plant

PSEB Chairman Y S Ratra told The Indian Express that “the work on the Rajpura plant would start soon after the CEA approval is received”. The process for floating the Expression of Interest and acquiring land would start soon after, say the officials.

The PSEB, meanwhile, is speeding up work on the Talwandi Sabo thermal plant.

While the Expression of Interest for the same has already been floated, the award of contract and issue of Letter of Intent (LOI) would be completed by January. At least 1,000 acre of land is required for each of the Rajpura and Talwandi projects.

Incidentally, the new SAD-BJP regime is on a drive to set up new thermal power projects in the state.

Due to the huge gap between demand and supply of power, the cash-strapped Punjab Government has been spending crores of rupees to buy power from other states at peak rates.

In the past five years, the state has spent Rs 10,000 crore buying power at peak rates—often as high as Rs 7 per unit. With this amount, experts feel, a 1500 MW power plant could have been set up by now.