CM meets Union Power minister, demands more electricity for State
Tuesday, 22 AUGUST 2023 | PNS | DEHRADUN
The Union government will compensate the damage caused to the electricity lines and towers by the recent rain triggered disaster in Uttarakhand. This assurance was given by the Union Power minister RK Singh to the State chief minister Pushkar Singh Dhami when the latter met him in New Delhi on Monday. He said that the State government should undertake a survey of the damaged towers and send the report to the government of India.
Dhami requested Singh that the electricity lines and power plants should be set up in the border areas. The union minister said that new norms will be set up for the border areas for this purpose.
The CM said that 60 per cent of the total power availability in Uttarakhand is from hydro power projects which are affected by seasonal changes due to which fluctuation in available power to the state takes place. The power production is reduced to one third in the winters. He said that additional power should be allotted to the State from the central pool on which the union minister gave his consent.
Dhami said that the union government should allot 400 MW of power to the State from the thermal power stations.
He said that the technical committee of central electricity authority has recommended that in view of unavailability of base load Uttarakhand should be given additional 400 MW of power from thermal power plants. The Union minister gave his consent for this demand and assured that every possible assistance will be provided to the State. On Kishau dam, Singh said that work on the project will be undertaken after disposal of the objections from all the states concerned.
The Union secretary, power, Pankaj Arora, Uttarakhand power secretary R Meenakshi Sundaram and UPCL MD Anil Kumar were present on the occasion.
