By IANS
New Delhi : Electricity production in India grew at just 6.6 percent during April-Dec 2007 compared to 7.5 percent growth recorded during the same period the previous year, the Economic Survey for 2007-08 has reported.
Finance Minister P. Chidambram tabled the annual report card on the Indian economy in the Lok Sabha Thursday.
The amount of electricity generated by nuclear plants was 5.7 percent lower compared to the same period of the preceding financial year, the report said.
Electricity generation by hydropower plants grew at 9.8 percent as against the 13.8 percent growth reported by the segment in the corresponding period of last fiscal, it added.
Coal and gas fired plants reported electricity generation growth of only 5.7 percent as against the 6.1 percent increase showed by these stations in the same period of the previous financial year.
“Electricity generation by power utilities during 2007-08 was targeted to go up 7.2 percent to 710 billion KW hours. However, actual generation was less than the target,” the survey said.
“The deficit in power supply in terms of peak availability and total energy availability during this period was 14.8 percent and 8.4 percent respectively.”
“In absolute terms, total energy deficit during this period was pegged at 45,601 million units.”