Game for more

Mejia/Bankura, June 19: Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited has agreed to the Prime Minister’s suggestion of working in three shifts to raise output by 50 per cent.

Singh has recently discussed Bhel’s production targets with senior officials of the PSU, power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said here today.

Shortage of equipment for power plants could become a hurdle to the government’s target of adding 78,000mw of electricity in the eleventh plan period.

At present, Bhel produces 7,000mw equipment a year by operating two shifts. An additional shift is expected to raise this to 10,500mw. The increased production will add up to 52,500mw in the next five years, the power minister said.

“We have asked Bhel to enhance its production capacity so that they can help in meeting the target for the eleventh plan period,” the minister said

Bhel is already in an expansion mode and is investing Rs 3,200 crore in the eleventh plan period to augment capacity to 15,000mw annually.

However, the government will not depend on Bhel alone to meet the shortfall and is seeking fresh investments, Shinde said.

Shinde today laid the foundation stone for the 1,000mw (2x500mw) expansion programme of Mejia thermal power station and 1,200 mw (2x600 mw) Raghunathpur Thermal power station in Bankura and Purulia districts, respectively.

Power shortage

The state expects to tide over the power shortage within a couple of months with the West Bengal Power Development Corporation and Durgapur Projects contributing 2,470mw more in this period.