The Madhya Pradesh government asked the Centre to direct the BHEL to speed up the completion of 500 MW Birsinghpur and 210 MW Amarkantak thermal power projects.
BHOPAL: The Madhya Pradesh government on Tuesday asked the Centre to direct the public sector power equipment supplier BHEL to speed up the completion of 500 MW Birsinghpur and 210 MW Amarkantak thermal power projects in the state.
In a letter to Heavy Industries Minister Santosh Mohan Dev, Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan asked him to direct Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) to complete the construction of Birsinghpur and Amarkantak thermal power units by first week of November and January respectively, official sources said here.
Chouhan said Madhya Pradesh had awarded turn-key contract for construction of 500 MW extension unit of Sanjay Gandhi Thermal Power Plant at Birsinghpur to BHEL on March 10, 2003.
The plant was scheduled to be completed by September last year.
Similarly, the contract for 210 MW extension unit at Amarkantak thermal power plant was awarded to BHEL on September 30, 2004 and was scheduled to be completed by February 28, 2007.
As the state was reeling under severe power crisis, required funds were provided by the state even at the expense of other important issues, he said, adding that progress of construction work was slow and delay was on account of BHEL.
Chouhan said the state had undertaken to reduce power cuts but delay in commissioning of these projects by BHEL had only worsened the power situation in the state.
Due to delay in operationalisation of these units, the state has suffered financial losses as it had to purchase electricity worth Rs 675 crore during 2006-07, he said.
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