Thaindian News

By Jaideep Sarin
Chandigarh, Aug 8 (IANS) Having electrified all its villages long back but facing a higher demand for power, Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda says the state is well on course to not only meet its power requirement but become a “power surplus” state by 2011.

Hooda said four new power plants would be commissioned in the coming months - enhancing power generation in the state by additional 5,000 MW.

“This will not only take care of the present power needs but the state will be power surplus in two years,” Hooda told IANS.

“I assumed office with inherent problems. On the power front, we are adding four new power plants with a capacity of 5,000 MW. In the last 40 years (Haryana was created in 1966), no power plant was added. In two years, we will be in a position to generate surplus power,” he asserted.

While the 600 MW Yamunanagar power plant has started generation, the 1,200 MW Khedar power plant near Hisar will be completed by December this year. Two other power plants coming up are Jharli I and II in Jhajjar district.

New Delhi, which is hosting the October 2010 Commonwealth Games, is depending on Haryana to supply additional power next year.

“Our projects for the Commonwealth Games will be ready by March next year,” Hooda said. Haryana is also seeking a nuclear power plant from the centre as part of the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement.

“The nuclear power corporation experts have inspected the site and formalities are being worked out for setting up a nuclear power plant in the state,” he said.

Power supply agencies in Haryana had purchased additional power worth over Rs.10 billion (1,000 crore) this year to fulfill increased demand. The Hooda government early this week asked the centre to foot the bill as the power was purchased to help farmers in paddy sowing season as rainfall this year was much less.