Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today criticized the Centre for allegedly not making available sufficient electricity from central pool to cater to the requirements of Bihar.
"Though we have strengthened the distribution and transmission network for electricity, the Centre is not cooperating with us by not making available sufficient electricity," Kumar said while addressing a conference on 'Powering Bihar: Attracting Investments for Development of the Power Sector in Bihar'.
He said that after coming to power, the NDA government worked hard and took several steps to improve the network of distribution and transmission of electricity in the state. "But it is unfortunate that we have dearth of electricity," he said.
The state government had developed the capacity of distribution of power to 3,338 MW by now and efforts were underway to further increase the distribution capacity to 4,640 MW by 2012, the Chief Minister said.
Accusing the Centre of supplying electricity to Bihar from 'problem-facing' power generation centres, Kumar said, "The Centre has such an attitude that it wants the people of Bihar to suffer."
He claimed that when the NDA came to power in Bihar, the production of electricity in the state was "zero MW" in 2005.
"But the state government has now joint venture with NTPC and work is in progress for making the power plants at Kanti in Muzaffarpur district and Navinagar in Aurangabad district operational at the earliest possible", he said.
Chief Minister said the state government was also exploring other alternatives, including bio mass, nuclear energy, hydel energy and non-conventional energy for meeting the requirements of the state.
He said the state government had submitted a proposal to the Centre for setting up a nuclear energy plant in Nawada but nothing had come off so far.
Lashing out at the Centre for electrification of revenue villages under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Yojana, Kumar said the scheme for supplying 16 and 25 KV AMP transformers under the Yojana had failed. "The scheme for providing electricity to 10 BPL households in every village is highly impractical", he said.
Stating that the problem relating to electricity would not be solved by supplying 63 kva and 100 kva transformers, Kumar said the state government had sent several letters to Prime Minister, Union Power Minister and the Planning Commission of India in this connection.
He said the Centre would have to make drastic change in Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Programme in the 12th plan period "otherwise it will be a treachery to people".
Chief Minister informed that the state government had decided to change 72000 KM electricity wire which was in bad shape in next three to four years. "We have also decided to reconstitute the Bihar State Electricity Board", he said.
Criticising the ethanol policy of the Centre, Kumar alleged that fate of proposals for sugarcane-based projects for manufacturing 2000 mw electricity in Bihar were hanging in balance following alleged faulty policy of the Centre.
"We expect production of 1400 mw electricity, if the Centre lifts the restrictions on production of ethanol in Bihar", he said.
"Though we have strengthened the distribution and transmission network for electricity, the Centre is not cooperating with us by not making available sufficient electricity," Kumar said while addressing a conference on 'Powering Bihar: Attracting Investments for Development of the Power Sector in Bihar'.
He said that after coming to power, the NDA government worked hard and took several steps to improve the network of distribution and transmission of electricity in the state. "But it is unfortunate that we have dearth of electricity," he said.
The state government had developed the capacity of distribution of power to 3,338 MW by now and efforts were underway to further increase the distribution capacity to 4,640 MW by 2012, the Chief Minister said.
Accusing the Centre of supplying electricity to Bihar from 'problem-facing' power generation centres, Kumar said, "The Centre has such an attitude that it wants the people of Bihar to suffer."
He claimed that when the NDA came to power in Bihar, the production of electricity in the state was "zero MW" in 2005.
"But the state government has now joint venture with NTPC and work is in progress for making the power plants at Kanti in Muzaffarpur district and Navinagar in Aurangabad district operational at the earliest possible", he said.
Chief Minister said the state government was also exploring other alternatives, including bio mass, nuclear energy, hydel energy and non-conventional energy for meeting the requirements of the state.
He said the state government had submitted a proposal to the Centre for setting up a nuclear energy plant in Nawada but nothing had come off so far.
Lashing out at the Centre for electrification of revenue villages under the Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Yojana, Kumar said the scheme for supplying 16 and 25 KV AMP transformers under the Yojana had failed. "The scheme for providing electricity to 10 BPL households in every village is highly impractical", he said.
Stating that the problem relating to electricity would not be solved by supplying 63 kva and 100 kva transformers, Kumar said the state government had sent several letters to Prime Minister, Union Power Minister and the Planning Commission of India in this connection.
He said the Centre would have to make drastic change in Rajiv Gandhi Rural Electrification Programme in the 12th plan period "otherwise it will be a treachery to people".
Chief Minister informed that the state government had decided to change 72000 KM electricity wire which was in bad shape in next three to four years. "We have also decided to reconstitute the Bihar State Electricity Board", he said.
Criticising the ethanol policy of the Centre, Kumar alleged that fate of proposals for sugarcane-based projects for manufacturing 2000 mw electricity in Bihar were hanging in balance following alleged faulty policy of the Centre.
"We expect production of 1400 mw electricity, if the Centre lifts the restrictions on production of ethanol in Bihar", he said.
