GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
Ministry of Power

RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4926
TO BE ANSWERED ON MAY 21, 2012
Additional Power Generation

4926. SHRI RAJEEV CHANDRASEKHAR: 

Will the Minister of POWER be pleased to state:

(a)   whether it is a fact that except for the Seventh Five Year Plan, the country has never achieved the targets set for additional power generation during any of the Five Year Plans;

(b)   if so, the details thereof, Plan-wise;

(c)    what are the main reasons for not achieving the targets; and

(d)   what corrective measures Government has taken or proposed to take in this regard?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF POWER
(SHRI K.C. VENUGOPAL)

(a) & (b): Against the capacity addition target of 22,245 MW for the 7th Five Year Plan, the achievement was 21,401 MW. The Plan­wise capacity addition target and achievement is indicated in the table given below:

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The power generation capacity added in the Eleventh Plan is 54964 MW as against the total capacity addition of 56618 MW in the 8th, 9th and 10th Plans taken together. The capacity added during the Eleventh Plan is about 260% of the total capacity added during the Tenth plan. In the year 2011-12, capacity addition of 20502 MW exceeded the target of 17601 MW, which is the highest ever annual capacity addition and is nearly equal to capacity added in the Tenth Plan.

(c):       The major reasons for not achieving the capacity addition targets include delay in the placement of orders for main plant equipment, delay and non-sequential supply of material for main plant and BoP, slow progress of civil works, contractual disputes between project developer and contractor and their sub-vendors / sub-contractors, poor geology, flash flood, delay in land acquisition, environmental concern, shortage of manpower, law and order problems and difficult climate conditions.

(d):       Several measures have been initiated by the Government to achieve the capacity addition target. These include:

(i)     Augmentation of manufacturing capacity of BHEL from 10,000 MW in December, 2007 to 20,000 MW by 2012.

(ii)   Formation of several new joint ventures to manufacture super-critical boilers and turbine-generators for thermal power plants.

(iii) Periodic review of issues related to supply of power equipment from BHEL by a group under the chairmanship of Secretary (Heavy Industry).

(iv)  Sensitization of stake holders to enlarge the vendor base to meet Balance of Plants requirements.

(v)    Rigorous monitoring of projects at different levels including by Ministry of Power, Central Electricity Authority, Power Projects Monitoring Panel and Advisory Group under the chairmanship of Minister of Power.

(vi)  Introduction of web-based monitoring System.

(vii) Investor friendly New Hydro Policy 2008.

(viii) Adoption of super-critical technologies.