PMO promises help in Maharashtra crisis

Unable to implement power projects in the state over the past few years, which has resulted in acute power shortage...

Unable to implement power projects in the state over the past few years, which has resulted in acute power shortage, Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh today said that the Prime Minister8217;s Office needs to directly coordinate with the concerned ministries to enable timely implementation of projects in the pipeline.

At a special meeting with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on the power crisis in Maharashtra today, the state urged the Centre to remove bottlenecks for six pending projects and address issues like ensuring fuel linkages.

Agreeing to the request, the Prime Minister gave the responsibility to Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan. Apart from this, it was also agreed that additional gas would be made available for the Uran Project Mahagenco plans to set up a 1040 mw gas plant.

Given the political ramifications of the current power crisis, timely implementation of projects by fast tracking clearances is extremely crucial for the Congress-NCP combine in power the state.

Sources said, given the huge demand and the shortage of power across the country, the Centre, however, was unable to commit any additional power either from the central pool or from the eastern grid. Speaking to The Indian Express Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said the Centre would allocate additional power to the state as and when it is available.

Sources said it was pointed out that Maharashtra already gets a substantial portion of 3147 mw from the central pool and any increase in allocation would have a political fallout.

The state, on the other hand, turned down the offer to draw from Andhra Pradesh as power from the gas-based plants running on naphta would cost the state around Rs 10 per unit.

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Apart from Shinde, Union Petroleum Minister Murli Deora, Union Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, Deputy Chairman of the Planning Commission Montek Singh Ahluwalia, Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan, along with the state Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister R R Patil and state Power Minister Dilip Walse-Patil, attended the meeting.

At the meet, Pawar pointed out that it was important to ensure that gas from Reliance reaches some of the power plants in the state.

On the administrative side, while the state Government said that it would set up a state environmental impact assessment authority to speed up clearances, the Centre also agreed to speed up supply of power equipment from the BHEL. Apart from gas supplies, the fuel supply bottlenecks for the power plants in the state also pertain to providing coal linkages and expediting the licenses for captive coal mining.

Coal linkages, along with environmental clearances, are needed for projects at Koradi, Chandrapur projects and for projects at Parli, Paras and Bhusawal that are replacement projects.