Power package for Haryana
Tribune News Service

NEW DELHI, Nov 2 — The Centre today announced several measures to resolve the power crisis in Haryana, including enhancing the power share for the state from 19 per cent to 27 per cent from the unallocated power of the Northern Grid.

The measures were announced after the Haryana Chief Minster, Mr Om Prakash Chautala, called on the Prime Minister, Mr Atal Behari Vajpayee, here last evening. This was followed by another meeting with the Union Power Minister, Mr P.R. Kumaramangalam, today.

The Chief Minister apprised the Centre of the problems being faced by farmers of the state due to shortage of power.

Mr Chautala said the State had a shortage of 25 per cent power and urged the Centre to meet the deficit by providing additional supply from the National Thermal Power Corporation and the Northern Grid.

At a meeting with the Union Power Minister, it was decided to enhance the power share of Haryana from the unallocated power of the Northern Grid. With this enhancement, the state would get additional 15 lakh units of power per day.

Mr Chautala urged the Union Government to provide additional power supply from the Eastern Grid too. On this, the Union Power Minister directed the power officials to organise 100 MW of power from the Eastern Grid to the state and also asked them to facilitate the signing of an MoU between the NTPC and Haryana, a Haryana Government spokesman said. He said with this arrangement the state would get at least 20 lakh additional units of power per day from November 15.

The Chief Minister also conveyed that Haryana would retain the four lakh units of power being provided to Himachal Pradesh daily from November 1 to mitigate the problems being faced by the farmers during the sowing of mustard in the current rabi season.

The Union Power Minister directed the officials concerned to provide adequate power to Haryana and restrict the overdrawal of power by other states from the grid, the spokesman said.

Mr Chautala also put up a project proposal of Rs 300 crore for providing 23,000 new tubewell connections through the Rural Electrification Corporation.

According to Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam officials, after this package, Haryana would get 100 MW additional power from November 15. This would improve the power situation considerably and reduce the unscheduled power cuts.

Mr Kumaramangalam also assured the Chief Minister that Haryana would soon get 143 MW of additional power from the second unit of the NTPC power plant at Faridabad.

Mr Chautala was accompanied by the state Finance Minister, Mr Sampat Singh, and other senior officers.