Bhopal,June 12 :Due to serious efforts undertaken by the state government, power generation capacity in the state has risen by 2937 megawatts during the last four years. With an extension unit of Amarkantak thermal power plant becoming critical soon, 210 MW more is going to be added to this capacity. Giving utmost importance to power, the state government has provided MP State Electricity Board and its companies Rs 939 crore as capital investment.
According to information received from Energy Department, the present state government has left no stone unturned in helping the state tide over power crisis. According to the department, power generation could not be increased in the 90’s in proportion to the demand. The same was the condition of power transmission and distribution. Adequate infrastructure works were also not undertaken at that time. This resulted in wide gap between demand and supply and quality of power supply was also affected
Fully aware of the problem, the state government took the challenge of steering the state out of power crisis and during four years of its tenure succeeded in doing so. Due to special efforts during the last four and half years power generation capacity in the state has been increased by 2937 megawatts. It may be mentioned that as on January 2004, the total power generation capacity was only 2991 megawatts.
Energy Department says that out of increased 2937 megawatt power, 2437 MW power is being generated by hydel power plants and 500 MW by thermal plants. The 60:40 ratio of power generation through hydel and thermal power plants is considered ideal.
Power generation has been increased to the tune of 500 MW from Sanjay Gandhi Thermal Power Plant, 1000 MW from Indira Sagar, 826.5 from state’s share in Sardar Sarovar, 520 from Onmareshwar, 20 from Bansagar, 60 from Madikhera and 10 from Bargi right bank canal.
Now an extension unit of 210 MW capacity is going to be critical soon. The state government’s sincerity towards efforts to increase power generation is manifest from the fact that it has provided Rs 939 crore to Madhya Pradesh State Electricity Board with a view to increase the tempo of power generation. By way of capital investment it gave Rs 52 crore in 2004-05, Rs 335 crore in 2005-06, Rs 227 crore in 2006-07 and Rs 325 crore in 2007-08. According to Energy Department earlier than this period no financial assistance was provided to the department for production projects.