Power dept to expand reach to neighbouring countries

State power department is aiming to develop the state as the power hub of the country and provide surplus power to various neighbouring countries on a large scale, power minister Sobhandeb Chatterjee said in the Assembly on Monday.

He said that the production of power has gone up in the last few years and the state government has already started providing the surplus power to Bangladesh. Now, the power department is planning to supply the power to neighbouring countries including Nepal, Bhutan.

The department is also eyeing an increase of power in state in the next few years. The power minister also claimed that Bengal ranks second after Maharashtra in terms of production of electricity without the assistance of the Centre.

Power minister, on Monday, once again told the house that rural electrification work is on the verge of completion. Chatterjee said that his department is committed to providing quality electricity to the distant villages. Following the Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee's order, the power department has taken up all possible steps to ensure that the villages get the same quality of electricity as the city.

The minister mentioned in the Assembly that around 14 villages are yet to be covered. The electrification work is almost done at 10 villages. The minister also said that the rural electrification work in the state would be completed by this year.

During the Left Front regime, around 5,525 megawatt power had been produced but the last few years the number has reached to 8,114 megawatt.

Chatterjee also said in the Assembly that the Centre is not allotting more money in this sector as demanded by the state government.

In response to the questions by the MLAs from the opposition parties on the power tariff, the minister said that despite recommendations of the Electricity Regulatory Commission to hike the power tariff, the state government has not hiked the tariff.

Referring some statistics, the power minister said that during 2008-09, the Left Front government increased the power tariff by 269.21 paisa while the present government has increased power tariff only by 107.55 paisa for a period between 2011-12 and 2016-17. He also reminded that the state government will give a subsidy of Rs 800 crore.

Sobhandeb Chattaopadhyay placing the demand for Rs 2818 crore told the house that despite lowering of central assistance to 60 per cent from 90 per cent, the government remained committed to electricity to all.

Rs 1341 crore was demanded by the state transport ministry and its minister Suvendu Adhikari said 10 new AC mini bus would roll out in the city.

To start with two routes would be introduced to connect Joka in the south western suburbs and airport to central Kolkata.