Facing the brunt over on-going power crisis the state government declared that present power crisis would ease out after October 3 when several closed power generation units would start functioning.
This assurance was given to Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav during review of the power department here on Tuesday. Yadav directed officials to improve power scenario in the state so that people could get quality electricity.Chief Minister directed officials to strictly enforce power supply of 22 hours daily to the district
headquarter and at least 16 hours daily to villages by the end of 2016. “Officials will be accountable for all strategies and laxity in this part will severely dealt with,” the CM said.
Chief Minister asked officials to introduce a system of sending electricity bills to consumers through SMS in 168 cities. At present around eight lakh consumers are registered with the UP Power Corporation limited for the service.After the review meeting Chief Secretary Alok Ranja said that the present coal shortage would end within next couple of days and the generation shortfall would be reduced. “We hope the situation would start improving by October 3,” he told reporters.
The officials said that power demand touched its peak in September that was abnormal. It was mainly because of lack of rains in the state. “The record suggests that electricity demand in September was almost 900 MW more than what State needs in May and June,” Ranjan said.
Ranjan said the Chief Minister directed the officials to speed up the rural electrification works under 11th plan in 551 villages of 22 districts with a cost of Rs 4,600 crore. The work should be completed by 2015-16. Besides, rural electrification work under the 12th plan in 64 districts with a cost of Rs 7,282 crore should start at any cost by the next month.
Principal Secretary (Power) Sanjay Agarwal said Chief Minister has asked us to meet power demand of 23,000 MW by 2016. We have plans to generate 21,000 mw of electricity whereas at this point of time the state is getting only 10,500 mw.The state government also approved Rs 22,600 crore for strengthening the transmission and Rs 15,000 crore for the distribution network to meet the target.
Agarwal said waiting list for energizing private tube wells in the state would be compiled by March, 2015 after which the consumers would be given connection on the spot. “There is a two-year-long waiting list to get electricity connection for private tube wells. This will end by march 2015,” he said.
He said during the past two months, a special drive has been launched against the illegal connection and 24 lakh new consumers have been enrolled. Now in next two months, meters would be installed in.First unit of Anpara-D, lalitpur and Bara thermal power units would start operation from next year while the first unit of 660 mw of Meja would come up by October 2016. Besides this, the first units of Obra-C, Panki Extention, Karchana, Ghatampur and Meja Extension would also come up in next three years time.
The review meeting was attended among others by PWD Minister Shivpal Singh Yadav and Rajendra Choudhury.