Patna: Bihar government on Saturday held the
Centre responsible for the deepening power crisis in most
parts of the state.
The state is heavily dependent on supply of electricity
from the central pool, state`s Energy Minister Vijendra Prasad
Yadav said in the state assembly.
"The Centre is solely responsible for the present power
crisis," Yadav said, and admitted that the state government
could not do anything to tide over the crisis unless it set up
plants for manufacturing adequate electricity to cater to the
state`s requirements.
Yadav said the state was `totally dependent` on the
Centre for meeting the requirements of domestic and commercial
customers as its two plants in Kanti and Barauni were only
producing 50-60 MW of electricity.
He said the state was receiving 895 MW electricity from
central pool at present against the requirements of 1,650 MW
to 1,700 MW and out of which the state had to spare 375 MW for
essential services like airport, railways and defence.
He informed that out of the electricity being allocated
from the central pool, 115 MW was earmarked for railway, 60 mw
for Nepal and 35 MW each for airport and defence units.
Bihar was at present receiving 380 MW against 402 MW from
Farakka, 176 MW against 363 MW from Talcher, 216 MW against
311 MW from Kahalgaon stage one and 86 MW against 100 MW from
Kahalgaon stage two, 60 MW against 260 MW from Tala, 10 MW
against 108 MW from Chukka and nil against 21 MW from Ranjit.
The minister further informed that due to fall in the
water level of River Ganges, the Farakka Unit five had shut
down.
Similarly, Talchar unit one, too, had shut down since
March 20 because of vibration in its rotors, while its unit
two tube had leaked since March 24 halting the power
production.
Yadav also said the smaller units of Tista and Tala had
shut down and in the given circumstances, "we can not buy
electricity from other sectors instead of raising the issue
with the centre".
The state`s hydel power projects were producing hardly
10 to 20 MW. "We expect that the Muzaffarpur and Barauni
units will be made operational by December 31, 2012 which will
ease the crisis," he added.
PTI
