PATIALA: The Punjab State Electricity Board has proposed to the state and the central governments that an atomic energy plant should be set up in the state during the 8th plan period to fulfill increasing demands of the agricultural as well as the industrial sector of Punjab.
The chairman of the PSEB H.S Baweja addressing a press conference here said that the management of the board has urged the Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh to take up the matter with the central government so that the project could be cleared at the earliest.
Baweja said that the thermal generation on which the state has been depending for a decade has been becoming uneconomical due to various factors and hence the State has to develop other energy Sources lo meet the increasing demand of power particularly of the agricultural sector.
He recalled that an expert team of the central government had conducted a survey of some sites in Punjab.
According to Baweja the board offered to join hands with the private sector for the setting up a new thermal plant or for the extension of the Bhatinda thermal plant but no party came forward to do so.
He said that due to radical changes in the fiscal policies at the national level and lack of sufficient funds for the transmission and distribution system the board faced serious financial constraints and an innovative approach has been adopted to overcome the difficulties.
Explaining the new approach Baweja said that it is endeavoring to generate additional resources internally by effecting economy an intensive drive in checking theft of energy disposal of surplus material regularization of unauthorized extensions and optimizing repair of distribution transformers in its workshops.
The chairman of the PSEB said that it had taken a bold decision to get damaged distribution transformers repaired by the manufacturers and making them supply new transformers in the same ratio.
Baweja said that due to low voltage during the paddy season last year the farmers of Punjab had had to face difficulties but efforts are being made by the management to give special attention with regard to the improvement and augmentation of the transmission and distribution system this year.
He said that for this purpose a 220 kv line from Bhakra to Jalandhar via Mehilpur has been commissioned and another 330 kv line from Ropar thermal plant to Jamsher (Jalandhar) is likely to be commissioned by June this year.
He expressed his confidence that due to addition of new generating Capacity of 240 mw augmentation of transformation capacity and erection of: transmission lines would go a long way to improve voltage conditions on the power system with the result the paddy growers would not face difficulties during the kharif season.
Replying to a question Daweja said that the transmission and distribution system is not yet fool proof but all efforts would be made to make maximum possible power available to the farmers for the paddy crop.
NEW DELHE: It may sound incredible, but as many as 1,26 lakh cases are pending in the Delhi High Court, more than 34,000 for over six years.
Article extracted from this publication >> May 29, 1992
