Power is India's highest priority

NEW DELHI, May 8 (UPI) -- India says its highest priorities are providing reliable, affordable, secure and sustainable energy to all consumers.

Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde told a parliamentary consultative committee attached to his ministry the government planned to add more than 78,000 megawatt generation capacity during the 11th five-year plan with a target of providing power to all by 2012.

"Challenge at hand can only be met by the creation of larger generation capacities in the country. We have to move at a faster pace in capacity addition and see that 15,000 MW is added yearly so as to realize the targets set for 11th plan period (2007-12)," Shinde said.