The Hindu : National : Power cross subsidy to continue for BPL consumers

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Feb 14, 2005

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National

Power cross subsidy to continue for BPL consumers

By Our Special Correspondent

KOLKATA, FEB. 13. The Union Power Minister, P.M. Sayeed, said that while cross subsidy will continue for households below the poverty line, it will be reduced progressively and gradually for those above BPL.

But the Minister refused to put a time frame to this exercise, saying that these issues would be addressed in the National Tariff Policy, which would be put up before the Cabinet by March.

He noted that regulators' power to fix tariff, cross subsidy and time flexibility in allowing open access were some of the areas of concern outlined by Left parties. "The tariff policy will address these issues.''

Mr. Sayeed said capacity addition during the Tenth Plan is likely to exceed the combined capacity addition during the Eighth and Ninth Plans, when only 50 per cent of the target was achieved. "We expect to achieve a breakthrough by realising 100 per cent of the capacity addition of 41,110 MW by 2007. Investments of Rs. 1,30,000 crore has already been committed for execution under the Tenth Plan.'' The Minister was here to dedicate the fourth unit of the Mejia Thermal Power Plant of the Damodar Valley Corporation and to lay the ceremonial foundation of the next two units, work on which had already started. He remarked in this context that the eastern region, especially West Bengal, had done well on the capacity addition front.

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