Four proposed power sub-stations which can end electricity crisis in the national capital have failed to see the light of day as land has not been allocated to even one of them by Delhi Government, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday.
The Minister said once these four substations at Rajghat, Tughlakabad, Dwarka and Karampura are ready, the Centre could bring in 7,400 MW of power to Delhi, which is substantially higher than estimated demand even in the next few years.
“I met the Power Minister of Delhi Satyendra Jain and he agreed to resolve the matter, and ensure land availability by working with all stakeholders. “I am hopeful that the land will be allotted to PGCIL on mutually agreeable terms expeditiously and work will begin at the earliest, so that people of Delhi are not forced to suffer power cuts in future,” Goyal said in a blog written by him on completion of one year as the Union Power Minister.
Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) plans to construct four 400/220 KV power substations each of capacity 2000 MVA at Rajghat, Tughlakabad, Dwarka and Karampura, “but land has not been allotted land for even one of them,” Goyal said.
The Union Minister added that he had to face power crisis in Delhi just three days after assuming the charge and even his residence did not have power in night at that time last year. “AAP had abdicated its responsibility in government, and we could not see Delhi and Delhiites suffer the ignominy of the National Capital being out of power. Hence we immediately swung into action and took up restoration activities on a war-footing…” he said.
After handling the power crisis, the Centre started working on “inverter and generator-mukt Delhi”, Goyal said and added the Power Ministry subsequently finalised and started implementing a Rs 7,791 crore plan for upgradation of the city’s power systems for “a robust, reliable and secure transmission infrastructure for the long-term”.