HYDERABAD: Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao on Saturday sought 2,000 MW electricity for his state to meet the growing power demand.
The Chief Minister visited NTPC’s 1,600 MW plant coming up at Ramagundam and reviewed the work with senior officials.
NTPC officials informed KCR that two units of total 800 ME capacity will become operational in October next year while another two units of the same capacity will be ready in February 2021.
Under the Andhra Pradesh Reorganization Act, the Centre had agreed to make 4,000 MW available to Telangana. The NTPC plant is being built as part of this.
KCR said it would take more than a year for this power to become available to the state.
The state is supplying 24-hour quality power to all sectors including agriculture. In addition to this, the Kaleshwaram irrigation project will become operational in July this year. For it alone, 6,000 MW power is required and thus the overall demand for power will go up, he said.
Keeping in view the growing demand, he said the NTPC should supply at least 2,000 MW from existing plants so that it can immediately meet the state’s requirements.
NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh responded positively to KCR’s demand.
The Chief Minister also assured the NTPC that he will allow them to generate solar power on irrigation projects in the state
KCR observed that the Centre’s policy in coal allotment is not proper. He said for Ramagundam NTPC plant, the coal should have come from nearby Singareni Collieries but instead it is being brought from a distance of 950 km in Odisha and as a result, production cost will go up and ultimately the burden will be on people.
Wherever the power projects come up, coal from nearest coal mines should be used, he added.
Stating that there is a need for changes in the policy for coal allotment to power projects, KCR said he would take up this issue with the new government at the Centre.
He said there was also a need to speed up construction of power projects.
[source_without_link]IANS[/source_without_link]