To modernise and upgrade Punjab’s rural power sector, the Centre on Monday approved to release Rs800 crore for the State under Deendayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY). Besides, the Centre has also assured that State that it would examine the sale of “surplus power” from Punjab in the coming months.
The decisions were taken by the Union Minister of Power, Coal and Renewal Energy Piyush Goyal during his meeting the State Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal. Sukhbur called upon Goyal to urge him to resolve pending power issues of State power utilities.
Goyal said that the proposal under DDUGJY submitted by Punjab was considered and Rs800 crore would be released under this very soon. “Punjab, which is already a forerunner on power production front in the country, would get another boost after getting the project under DDUGJY to modernise and upgrade its transmission and distribution power system in rural areas,” he said.
He said that this project would witness complete separation of agriculture and non-agriculture feeders facilitating judicious power supply to agri and non-agri consumers in rural areas with improvement in hours of power supply.
On Sukhbir’s request regarding sale of surplus power from Punjab, the Union Minister said that the Centre would examine this proposal very soon. The Minister has asked the state power utility, Powercom, to submit a detailed proposal in this regard so that the possible modalities could be looked into.
Goyal also gave his nod to provide full capacity coal linkage and supply to Punjab thermal plants as per the agreement in future and there would be no shortage in this regard. Goyal also assured him that the clearance to Pachwara coal mine allotted to Punjab in Jharkhand would also be given in the coming days. For the same, he has issued directions to the authorities concerned to make this site operational as soon as possible.
Sukhbir highlighted the issue of coal quality besides initiating the sampling and coal analysis at loading end. After hearing the issue, Goyal assured to introduce third party sampling and analysis before loading of coal to maintain the quality of coal.
Goyal also agreed to enhance supply of one million tonne coal of Central Coalfields limited to 1.50 million tonnes.