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Monday, Oct 01, 2007
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Concern over reduction in power quota

Special Correspondent

Centre’ s move will affect harvesting during rabi season: Rajasthan Minister

The Centre has reduced Rajasthan’s share from 28 per cent to 11 per cent over a period
The Minister pointed out that Rajasthan has achieved second rank in power production

JAIPUR: Rajasthan Minister of State for Energy Gajendra Singh has expressed concern over continued reduction in the State’s share in the Central quota of electricity despite the State making a number of achievements on the power production front.

The Centre has reduced Rajasthan’s share from 28 per cent to 11 per cent over a period.

Addressing a meeting of State Energy Ministers in New Delhi, Mr. Singh said Rajasthan was already facing paucity of power with two units of the Atomic Power Plant at Rawatbhata having been shut down. The reduction in the share in Central quota would create difficulty during the rabi harvest season.

Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde presided over the meeting.

Mr. Singh affirmed that the State would achieve 72 per cent of the targets of power production in the 11th Five Year Plan during its first two years. “Rajasthan has set the target of producing 1,780 MW power during the next five years. Of this, 1,280 MW power will be produced within two years,” he said.

The Minister pointed out that Rajasthan had achieved the second rank, after Gujarat, in power production during the Tenth Plan by accomplishing the target of 750 MW.

Mr. Singh requested the Centre to provide sufficient quantity of gas for the Dholpur power plant and assist in strengthening the electricity distribution network to facilitate proper supply of nearly 5,000 MW power likely to be produced by wind energy in western parts of the State in the years to come.

The Minister said the Chhabra thermal power plant would produce an additional 1,000 MW power by the end of next year.

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