The Government is set to integrate the southern power grid with those in the rest of the country by 2014.
Speaking at the foundation stone laying ceremony of NTPC's Kudgi Super Thermal Power Project, the Union Minister of State for Power, Mr K. C. Venugopal, said: “Quite a few southern States are suffering. We are working towards integrating southern power grid to other grids (West, North and East) and this will be done by 2014.”
“Currently, grid work has been done up to Solapur in Maharashtra. We need to draw a line up to Chennai via Raichur. Once this is done, we will be able to take up connecting Belgaum with Solapur as well,” he added.
Earlier, the Karnataka Energy Minister, Ms Shobha Karandlaje, narrated the problems faced by the State in evacuating power it purchased from Punjab due to ‘corridor problem'. “We are purchasing 250 MW from Chhattisgarh but have been able to bring only 50-60 MW due to grid problem,”' she said.
“Getting coal linkage for our new power plants from the Central departments and the corridor problem have been nagging us,'' she added.
Ms Karandlaje said the State had made large investments in three projects while it had paid Rs 285 crore for land acquisition for a pithead plant in Chhattisgarh. “We urgently need allocation of coal blocks for our Chhattisgarh thermal plant which can produce 2000 MW. Once we get it (coal linkage), we will start building the plant,” she said.