NEW DELHI, Sept. 12 (UPI) -- India’s Power Ministry says its target of 78,000 megawatts in capacity addition during the current 11th plan will be achieved.
Addressing the inaugural session of the 10th power forum in New Delhi, Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde expressed confidence the targets will be achieved.
He said he was committed to electrify every village in the country by 2009 and provide electricity to every household by 2012.
He stressed the need for open access in the power sector, which is crucial for sustaining growth of above 9 percent.
He said loopholes in the bidding process for ultra-mega power projects had been corrected and problems relating to merchant power plants of about 12,000 megawatts had been sorted out.
Power Secretary Anil Razdan, who was also present on the occasion, said the 11th plan would not only bring opportunities to industries active in the power sector but also generate employment on a large scale in urban and rural areas.
He said the theft of electricity was a major challenge and stressed the need to plug the leak. He said there was a need to improve the equipment delivery system and the availability of fuel.
