Date:07/12/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/12/07/stories/2007120757680500.htm

New Delhi

UP lagging on power development, says Shinde

Special Correspondent

Uttar Pradesh has a peak shortage of about 23 per cent
It overdrew 1,800 million units between April, Oct.

NEW DELHI: In a war of words, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde has countered Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Mayawati’s charge that the Centre had been discriminating against the State in allocation of power.

Stating that power generation and distribution are the responsibility of the State government, Mr. Shinde retorted that UP had lagged behind on that front badly.

Responding to Ms. Mayawati’s statement that electricity is the Central government’s responsibility and not of the State government, Mr. Shinde in a statement issued here said that in the Constitution electricity figures in the Concurrent List of subjects. The Central government’s role is supplementary in nature.

“I think the Chief Minister needs to appreciate this Constitutional provision,” the Union Minister said.

Mr. Shinde said UP had added only 536 MW of capacity during the last two Five Year Plans, whereas it should have added more than 3,000 MW keeping in view their requirement.

Presently UP has a peak shortage of about 23 per cent (2,500 MW). The Plant Load Factor (PLF) of the thermal power plants in the State has declined to 56 per cent against the national average of 77 per cent.

The Minister said if UP were to run its power plants as per the national average, it could have generated additional power amounting to 1,000 MW, cutting its present shortage by 40 per cent. He said the State had overdrawn 1,800 million units between April and October this year.