Centre may consider power plant for Goa

PANAJI: The central government will consider approving a self generating power project for Goa, if the state government sends a proposal for the same, Union minister of state for power Bharatsingh Solanki informed Goa Rajya Sabha member Shantaram Naik, during question hour.
According to a press release by Naik, Solanki, in reply to his supplementary, said that there was no proposal to lay underground cables along the coastal villages of Calangute, Baga, Colva, Benaulim and Varca.
Union minister for power Sushil Kumar Shinde informed Naik that in August 2009, the government of Goa had requested the allocation of additional power from the unallocated power of central generating stations. Accordingly Goa has been allocated 50 MW (25 MW from unallocated power of Kawas and Gandhar Gas based power stations and 25 MW from unallocated power of central generating stations of western region) on November 16, 2009.
Shinde further informed Naik that Goa has an installed capacity of approximately 78 MW in the state and private sector. In addition, it has a firm allocation of 403 MW from central generating stations in the western region and southern region and approximately 50 MW, presently allocated, from the unallocated power of central generating stations to cater to the power requirement of the state.
Shinde said that for the year 2009-10, Goa's requirement is 1760 million units, out of which, 1709 million units are available leaving a shortage of 51 units. As regards peak hour, Goa's demand is 455 megawatt but 410 megawatt is met, leaving a shortage of 45 megawatts, the press release said.