By IANS,
New Delhi: Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal Wednesday requested the central government to enhance his state’s power quota from the central pool as it is facing power shortage during the winters.
“The power shortage is likely to touch 800 MW in the coming years due to industrialisation in the state. The central government needs to enhance the allocation of power from 145 MW to 400 MW during winters,” Dhumal said at the power ministers’ conference here.
He said the state would set up a pithead based captive thermal plant in West Bengal to fill the shortage of electricity.
Hydroelectric power generation in the hill state falls 75 to 80 percent every winter after many water channels freeze.
The chief minister said the government has formulated a transmission master plan with an initial investment of over Rs.4,500 crore to set up a power evacuation system.
“The central government (needs) to start special schemes of fundings to create new transmission assets to enable evacuation of power at reasonable rates,” Dhumal said.
Himachal Pradesh has a power potential of about 23,000 MW. About 6,480 MW has been harnessed till now by the central and state governments, private players and joint venture companies.
In the coming fiscal, the state government proposes to add more than 600 MW with the commissioning of Allain Duhangan, Malana II, Budhil, Chamera III and some other small power projects.