Plans of SAD-BJP Government

Power Sector

• An ambitious Programme to make Punjab as a power surplus state through adding 12944 MW generation capacity from different sources that entailed total investment of about Rs.70,000 crore, initiated by the SAD-BJP government.
• 1980 MW Talwandi Sabo Thermal Project (83% work completed), 540 MW Goindwal Sahib Thermal Project (86% work completed), and 1400 MW Rajpura Thermal Plant (79% work completed), which are being established by private companies namely Sterlite Energy, GVK and L&T respectively would be completed soon (by May 2014).
• Thermal Plant at Gidderbaha (2640 MW) has been allotted to NTPC for execution as Regional Power Station (but work has been stuck due to lack of coal linkage).
• A Gas based Power Plant of 1000 MW capacity near Ropar and 1320 MW Thermal Plant near Mukerian have also been planned.
• Four MoUs have been signed for 1320 MW Thermal Plant at Gobindpura with Indiabulls, for 700 MW at Rajpura with L&T, for 1320 MW at Goindwal Sahib with M/s GVK and for 500 MW Gas Based at Rajpura with M/s Jay Polychem India Ltd.
• The state has brought down its tranmission and Distribution (T&D) losses to 17.72% during 2012-13 from 20.12% during 2009-2010 and aims to bring it further down to 15% by the year 2015-16.
• Punjab has reduced peak demand by 25 MW by installing 15 lac CFLs in 5 lac households under Bachat Lamp Yojna.
• More than 80,000 single bulb connections have been given BPL families in Punjab at cost of Rs.70 crores.
• Rs. 3259 crore would be spent on Power sector during year 2013-14 to strengthen transmission (Rs. 1209 crore), generation & distribution (Rs. 750 crore each) and to provide electricity supply on urban pattern to the left out Dhanis (Rs. 50 crore) besides under Power Development Reforms Programme Rs. 500 crores would also be spent during 2013-14.
• The state government through Punjab Energy Development Agency (PEDA) has prepared a plan involving an investment of Rs. 8600 crore to generate about 1000 MW of power from biomass including paddy (800MW) and disposal of municipal solid waste (200MW) for which farmers will be given subsidy of 50% for purchase of Balers and Reapers that would enable them to earn extra income and check environmental pollution, whereas subsidy of Rs. 3 crore per MW will be given on the Power generation from municipal solid waste.