Electricity generation started from 250 MW and 660 MW units of Chhabra
Production from Kalisindh’s 660 MW unit also began on Sunday.
The present power shortage in the state is the result of mismanagement of the previous government: Energy Minister
Jaipur, 29th August. Electricity generation started in the state from the first unit of 250 MW and the fifth unit of 660 MW of the Chhabra project. While ensuring the supply of coal, power generation has also begun from one unit of 600 MW of the Kalisindh project.
After saying this, Energy Minister Dr B. D. Kalla also said that production was stopped due to technical reasons in both the units of Chhabra. Now, these technical flaws have been rectified. Apart from that, continuous efforts are being made at the Central Government level for the adequate supply of coal for the power generation units of Kota and Suratgarh. These are dependent on Coal India for coal supply.
Dr Kalla said that the situation arising due to power shortage in the state at present is mainly because of power mismanagement of the previous government. The Energy Department too was indifferent at that time. He said that during the previous government’s time, the Energy Department did not pay attention to the time-bound commissioning of two important units of Chhabra and Suratgarh supercritical (2 times 660 MW each) under construction in the state. Due to this, there was an unnecessary delay in the work of these units.
He said that power generation was to start from the above two units of Chhabra and Suratgarh in the year 2016, which could not be started on time due to slow speed. Only one 660 MW unit located at Chhabra could be started at that time in the year 2018.
The Energy Minister said that during the tenure of the previous government, no attention was paid to both the supercritical projects of 2 times 660 in the state totalling 2640 MW. Administrative and financial sanctions for these projects were also issued during the previous tenure of our government (from 2008 to 2013). Due to the apathy towards these big projects of the previous government, there has been an adverse effect on the power availability and self-reliance of the state.
Dr Kalla informed that after the formation of the present government, in the years 2019 and 2020, power generation was started from 660.660 MW units located at Chhabra and Suratgarh. This was possible after the tireless efforts of the State Energy Department. Simultaneously, the commissioning activities of the 8th unit of 660 MW of Suratgarh Supercritical is also going on in full swing. It will start commercial production soon. This will also be possible only due to the continuous active and time-bound efforts of the present government.
The Energy Minister said that the distribution corporations of Vidyut Utpadan Nigam have a lot of dues. This is the result of not paying attention to it from the year 2014-15 during the time of the previous government. During the tenure of the last government, the production corporation had to take a loan in lieu of non-payment by the distribution corporations to the production corporation. As a result of which the production corporation has got this financial condition today. He said that during the previous government, electricity was taken from the generating corporation by the discoms but it was not paid on time.
The production corporation had a balance of 20 thousand crore rupees from the bill payment of the previous government, due to which the production corporation had to take a loan at that time (during the tenure of the previous government). The interest of that loan is now costing the production corporation a lot. The previous government left a burden of 53000 crores on the distribution corporations. Besides, a debt burden of 45000 crores on the generating corporations. In this way, the previous government realized the financial mismanagement by putting a burden of 1 lakh 20 thousand crores on the companies in the energy sector.
With the present government’s efforts, the Energy Department has contracted 1430 MW solar power at Rs 2.50 per unit and 1070 MW solar power at Rs 2.00 per unit, and 1200 MW wind power at Rs 2.77 per unit. Apart from this, the tender of 1785 MW solar power is under process through SECI, and the power supply will be received in the next 12 to 18 months, which will help in supplying electricity at reasonable rates to the consumers in the coming days.
