Problem of power cuts in Haryana will be resolved soon: Khattar

Chandigarh, Apr 26 (PTI) Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Tuesday said the problem of power cuts in the state will be resolved soon and assured that his government is taking measures to ease the situation.

The main opposition party in the state, Congress, has slammed the government, blaming it for the power crisis, with its senior leader Randeep Surjewala claiming that this is worst ever electricity crisis because in Haryana.

"Uninterrupted electricity will be provided to citizens of the state. For this, permanent measures are being taken by the power discoms. The problem of power cuts in the state will be resolved soon," he said, according to an official statement.

The chief minister was presiding over a meeting here with officials of electricity distribution companies (discoms) and it was also attended by Power Minister Ranjit Singh Chautala.

During the summer season, the consumption of power increases and discoms are providing electricity to consumers by purchasing it at higher rates, Khattar said.

To meet the increasing power consumption during the summer season, problems at the power station in Khedar are also being resolved and this plant will soon be made operational, he said.

Two weeks ago, Chautala had said that one unit of the Khedar Thermal Power Plant was shut down for a few days due to a technical fault in a router.

Khattar said that after the onset of monsoon, there would be some reduction in power consumption, till then 3,000 megawatt (MW) of additional power would be required, and for this, necessary arrangements are being made by the state government.

About 400 MW of power will be produced through a short-term forecasting model which would be made available to consumers, he said spelling out the measures to meet the demand.

The chief minister said that a new 750 MW power plant would be set up in Yamunanagar and the process for the same is being completed.

After installation of this power plant, 750 MW of additional power will be generated, he said.

Opposition parties have targeted the BJP-JJP government over the power issue, with Surjewala last week claiming that Haryana at present is facing the worst ever power crisis because of a big gap between the demand and supply of electricity.

Surjewala had accused the state government of buying short-term electricity at much higher rates, burdening the state exchequer. PTI SUN VSD ANB ANB