24 hour power supply should be top priority : CM
Bhopal. Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has said that top priority should be given to supply of power for 24 hours for giving fillip to the state’s economy. Madhya Pradesh has achieved 12 percent growth rate this year in which power sector has given important contribution. Chief Minister Shri Chouhan was addressing a workshop of Energy Department’s field officers at Academy of Administration here today. Minister of State for Energy Shri Rajendra Shukla was also present on the occasion.
Chief Minister Shri Chouhan said that Madhya Pradesh Government has spent Rs. 10 thousand crore for streamlining power sector. It should be ensured that benefit is reached out to common consumers, power supply scenario improves and distribution losses are minimized. He said that remarkable increase has been registered in power generation in Madhya Pradesh. Farmers’ satisfaction level was also good. He said that power is vital for development. Feeder separation work should be expedited and completed within time-limit since it is a priority sector of the State Government. He said that every possible effort should be made to complete feeder separation work in all the districts till March 2013. He said power supply situation affects production of crops. Scheme should be chalked out for replacing transformers as soon as they become defunct. The State Government will not allow any fund crunch. It should be kept in mind that entire system is for service to common people. Efforts should be made to prevent power pilferage. Special attention should be paid to ensure that bills are free of errors. He said that retirement age of power distribution companies’ officers and employees should be enhanced from 58 to 60 years.
Minister of State for Energy Shri Shukla said that power supply scenario has improved this year and power losses have also come down. About 400 feeders will be separated daily in the state for completing the work till March 2013. He informed that this year, 42,500 million units of power were fed into power system, which is 6,500 million units more than the last year. Last year, target of supplying 52 thousand million units was set . He said that officers and employees should work keeping in view target of making Madhya Pradesh self-reliant in power sector. Arrangement of SMS service is being implemented to replace defunct transformers immediately.
Secretary Energy Shri Mohammad Sulaiman said that Madhya Pradesh is the only state in the country where the State Government has made available Rs. 10 thousand crore working capital loan to power distribution companies. Academy of Administration Director General Smt. Abha Asthana, Secretary to Chief Minister Shri Vivek Agrawal, Power Trading Corporation Managing Director Shri Manu Shrivastava and field officers of all the electricity companies were also present on the occasion.
