Power & Coal Minister Piyush Goyal on Friday held the previous Manmohan Singh government, which was outright pro-US and anti-Indian in its economic, foreign and strategic policies, responsible for the current mess in the country’s power sector.
‘The country is facing the crisis as a result of wrong methods adopted in allocation of coal blocks in an effort to fulfil the dream of power for all till 2012... This is the truth that I have inherited,’ he said, adding that as a result a large number of coal allocations were embroiled in court cases.
Goyal emphasised rationalisation of coal linkages and said there were instances where a a power plant located near sea was getting coal from a Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand mine. He stressed that the government has ‘also started discussion on mines which are stuck in courts’ and appealed to stakeholders to solve the issue through talks or arbitration route instead of seeking recourse to law.
Meanwhile, claiming to have achieved zero power deficit, the Andhra Pradesh government on Friday announced a plan to supply 24x7 electricity to all domestic, commercial and industrial users from October 2, even as it plans to generate over 6,100 MW of power in the next five years. The AP Cabinet, which met here today, approved a programme to generate 4,400 MW of thermal power and another 400 MW of hydro power in the next five years.
Besides, it plans to generate 1,300 MW of solar power by developing two Solar Parks in Anantapuram and Guntur districts, according to state Minister for Information and Public Relations Palle Raghunatha Reddy. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meet, the minister said agriculture sector would now get seven-hour non-stop power supply daily and would subsequently be increased to nine hours.
‘When our government assumed power on June 8, the state was reeling under a power deficit of 22 million units a day. As of today, the deficit has become zero as we could draw additional power from NTPC, Simhapuri, Krishnapatnam units as also from other states. From October 2, the state will have 24x7 power supply,’ Palle said.
There were 2551 ‘powerless’ habitations in different districts of the state that would be electrified in the next five years, he added.
‘The country is facing the crisis as a result of wrong methods adopted in allocation of coal blocks in an effort to fulfil the dream of power for all till 2012... This is the truth that I have inherited,’ he said, adding that as a result a large number of coal allocations were embroiled in court cases.
Goyal emphasised rationalisation of coal linkages and said there were instances where a a power plant located near sea was getting coal from a Chhattisgarh or Jharkhand mine. He stressed that the government has ‘also started discussion on mines which are stuck in courts’ and appealed to stakeholders to solve the issue through talks or arbitration route instead of seeking recourse to law.
Meanwhile, claiming to have achieved zero power deficit, the Andhra Pradesh government on Friday announced a plan to supply 24x7 electricity to all domestic, commercial and industrial users from October 2, even as it plans to generate over 6,100 MW of power in the next five years. The AP Cabinet, which met here today, approved a programme to generate 4,400 MW of thermal power and another 400 MW of hydro power in the next five years.
Besides, it plans to generate 1,300 MW of solar power by developing two Solar Parks in Anantapuram and Guntur districts, according to state Minister for Information and Public Relations Palle Raghunatha Reddy. Briefing reporters after the Cabinet meet, the minister said agriculture sector would now get seven-hour non-stop power supply daily and would subsequently be increased to nine hours.
‘When our government assumed power on June 8, the state was reeling under a power deficit of 22 million units a day. As of today, the deficit has become zero as we could draw additional power from NTPC, Simhapuri, Krishnapatnam units as also from other states. From October 2, the state will have 24x7 power supply,’ Palle said.
There were 2551 ‘powerless’ habitations in different districts of the state that would be electrified in the next five years, he added.