Rs 1000 for LPG connection under PMUY
A little more than Rs 1000 is enough for registration of a new LPG connection under the Pradhan Mantri Ujjwal Yojana (PMUY) which is exclusively for women belonging to BPL families. For Manipur, registration of new LPG connection under PMUY would entail payment of Rs 2600 and this amount is exclusive of the price of LPG refill. Out of this Rs 2600, the consumer need to pay only Rs 1000 and this is the price of one LPG stove. The remaining Rs 1600 would be borne by the Government of India. Women seeking LPG connection under PMUY should buy LPG stoves of the brand name ‘Ujjwal Stove’ at Rs 1000 each. Except for this Rs 1000, they need not pay any extra money. The amount of Rs 1600 which should be borne by the Government of India consists of Rs 1250 for empty cylinder security deposit, Rs 150 for pressure regulator security deposit, Rs 100 for Suraksha hose pipe (1.2m), Rs 25 for DCC (Blue Book) and Rs 75 for inspection/installation/demonstration/ documentation. Only women belonging to BPL families listed in the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) of 2011 are eligible for PMUY. Altogether 2,36,653 households of Manipur which are listed in SECC 2011 are eligible for the scheme. However, so far only 1020 women have applied for LPG connection under PMUY, informed an official source. Even as the Indian Oil Corporation has been working hard to launch PMUY in the State, LPG stock at the Sekmai bottling plant is almost nil. Sekmai bottling plant has six storage tanks and their combined capacity is 1800 metric tonnes. Four of the storage tanks are of 150 MT capacity each while two are of 600 MT capacity. The stock position at Sekmai bottling plant declined to nil as LPG bullet tankers stopped transporting LPG into the State citing the prevailing law and order condition. J’Marcus Webb Womens Jersey
POWER GRID PREPARING TRANSMISSION INFRA IN TELANGANA
The Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) has commenced the process of developing the 765kV Wardha-Dichpally-Maheshwaram transmission line in Telangana State for enabling receipt of 1,000 MW power supply from Chhattisgarh. The project is expected to be completed by December this year and power supply may start the same month from Chhattisgarh to Telangana State, officials informed. Notably, the Chhattisgarh Government decided to sell 1,000 MW of power to the newly formed Telangana State in 2014. Chief Minister Raman Singh and his counterpart from Telangana, K Chandrashekhar Rao had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the purpose in Raipur on November 3, 2014. The officials of Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company Limited (CSPDCL) had stated at that time that the decision to sell electricity to Telangana was taken in view of increasing power production capacity of Chhattisgarh and after fulfilling the power supply requirement of the State. They added Telangana government will bear the transmission expenses in supplying the power to it. The CSPDCL will get trading margin money and this will add to the income of the company. This will thereby help in reducing the electricity rates in Chhattisgarh on the basis of competition, they had stated. The officials said that the contract was signed after considering the power received from private power generating companies. They claimed that the State will not face any power shortage due to the deal signed with Telangana. In the month of May last year, the Central government had also notified generation linked projects in Chhattisgarh and Odisha with a view to encouraging participation of Private sector in building the Transmission capacity in India, officials stated. It had notified 14 power transmission schemes worth Rs. 33,900 crore during 2014-15 across the country. These transmission schemes includes 765 kV and 400 kV transmission system strengthening schemes in the Northern, Western, Southern, North Eastern Regions and would facilitate transfer of Power from new Hydro electric projects in Bhutan and the generation linked projects in Chhattisgarh and Odisha etc. By the end of 12th five year plan, the power generation installed capacity of Chhattisgarh is expected to reach 22,000 Megawatt, officials informed. According to officials, the per capita power consumption in Chhattisgarh has jumped from 300 units to 1,724 units. In the view of increasing power supply demand, the Chhattisgarh State Power Generation Company Ltd (CGPGCL) has made an investment of Rs 22,000 crore, officials informed. Officials further informed that the number of very high-pressure sub-centers and distribution systems have also increased in the State. They further informed that for the first time gas based very high sub center has been developed in Raipur and in the same way very high sub-centers based on hybrid technology is being used. For ensuring continuous power supply, double transmission-distribution system has been developed in some key areas of the State. David Johnson Jersey
Govt plans Rs 1,000 cr Sterlite project to rid Gurgaon of blackouts
Gurgaon’s chronic power woes could be a thing of the past in a little more than a year from now. A Rs 1,000 crore-plus transmission project is under way to raise electricity supply to the millennium city and its surrounding areas, home to scores of multinationals, call centres and manufacturing units, by 2,000-3,000 MW. The project, awarded to Sterlite Power promoted by NRI metals-and-mining tycoon Anil Agarwal, is part of the Jagdish Khattar government’s efforts to turn Haryana into a zero-blackout state. The Sterlite project would prop up another plan being pursued by the central and state governments to make Gurgaon the first city in the country with a full-scale smart grid that would allow consumers to reduce power bills by turning into ‘prosumers’- becoming suppliers during the day by feeding surplus power from rooftop solar systems into the mains and drawing back in the night. The Sterlite project envisages laying four lines totalling 170 km and three high-power sub-stations to raise wheeling capacity to rid the area of generators and power cuts. The sub-stations would strengthen the network in Gurgaon and connect other sub-stations located at Palwal, Rangla, Rajpur and adjoining areas of Meerpur Kurah in Haryana – all part of the inter-state transmission system. “This project is quite challenging as it passes through established human settlements. We are confident of delivering it ahead of schedule, as we have been doing on our other projects,” Sterlite Power CEO Pratik Agarwal told TOI. Land acquisition has begun and the financial closure is expected any time now. “It’s a matter of days,” a company source said. The company is confident of completing the project in 17 months, or by the middle of 2018, much ahead of the sanctioned time. Besides augmenting power supply to residential areas, the project would also improve reliability of electricity supply for manufacturing and service sectors in the region and help generate jobs. The transmission links are proposed between Aligarh and Prithla , covering a distance of 52 Km. The second line between Prithala and Kadarpur would cover 40 km and the third one linking Kadarpur with Sohna Road travel 21 Km, while the fourth between Neemrana and Dhanonda would cover 54 Km. The sub-stations are being planned at Sohna Road, Kadarpur and Prithla along with associated 400 kv (kilo volt) connectivity. Sergei Fedorov Womens Jersey
No possibility of setting up nuclear plant in Punjab: SAD
Ruling Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) today ruled out the possibility of setting up a nuclear plant anywhere in Punjab, holding there was no feasibility for it in the state, a day after the Centre said it was looking at possible sites in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana. SAD General Secretary and Member of Parliament Prem Singh Chandumajra said there was no feasibility for setting up a nuclear power plant in the state. He said if the Centre really wants to set up nuclear plants, it should look for sites in Rajashatan or Madhya Pradesh. Read More: Green activists oppose nuclear plant near Doon. Govt. exploring opportunities to set up nuclear power plants in U’khand, Punjab and Haryana. Meanwhile, chairman of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) K D Chaudhary said no such proposal was there for consideration with the state. He said that the state is “power plus” now. Yesterday, Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh had said that the central government is looking at possible sites in Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana for setting up new atomic power plants. The Congress government had rejected the proposal for setting up a nuclear power plant in Darauli in Patiala in 2000. CORR VJ AJR SC AJR Derrick Johnson Jersey
Diwali power boost with eye on polls in UP
The people of poll-bound Uttar Pradesh can expect a brighter Diwali this year as the state government is all set to increase power supply around the festival of lights, which is on October 30. Presently, rural and urban areas get 12-14 hours and 18-22 hours of power supply, respectively. This will be increased to 16-18 hours for rural and 22-24 hours for urban areas. A formal announcement is likely to be made by chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Managing director, UP Power Corporation Limited, A P Mishra said all preparations for an increased power supply will be completed by October-end. “It was part of the state government commitment,” he said. Sources said that the state government seeks to wheel in more power when the demand lessens. As on date, while the demand is at the peak up to 15,000MW, the UPPCL is able to provide nearly 13,000MW, leaving a gap of nearly 2,000MW. The rural areas are facing prolonged power cuts and the maximum power supply is in the range of nearly 10-12 hours. The same is with urban areas where power supply is to the tune of 18-22 hours. Sources said the state government is looking to not only state-owned power plants but also those of the private sector like Rosa, Bajaj, Bara and Lanco for a higher and efficient generation. While the UP Rajya Utpadan Nigam has set a target of nearly 4,000MW from state-owned power plants, the UPPCL expects to get nearly 5000MW just from private players. A senior UPPCL official, however, said power supply from IPP will come through only after a separate power corridor is created. “For this, we need to have a Short Term Open Access (STOC) and Long Term Open Access agreement,” he added. Zay Jones Jersey
Border village, devoid of electricity or roads, hopes for a better future
A visit to Thapliyalkheda, a village in Champawat district on the Indo-Nepal border is an illustrative example of how villages in the far-flung reaches of Uttarakhand remain disconnected from the rest of the region and the country even now in times of instant communication. Located around 170 km from Nainital, the judicial capital of the state and headquarters of Kumaon division, the village of around 45 families still has no electricity or road. Till 1998, the villagers were also not able to exercise their voting rights since their names were not included in the area’s electoral rolls due to few officials visiting the place because of its inaccessibility. Visiting the village is like going back a few decades in time — in the absence of electricity, life comes to a standstill after sunset although some families have started using solar powered lanterns provided by the Sahastra Seema Bal (SSB) which guards the border areas. The irony is that the National Hydropower Corporation-operated Tanakpur power plant on Sharda river is just nine kilometres from the village. The other irony is that the area is represented by a MLA of the ruling Congress but still has to struggle with basic sadak, bijli, paani issues. Residents say that till the time the SSB moved into the area (in 2001), they also had to grapple with mischievous elements from across the border. “People from Nepal used to come and take away away our cattle. We were helpless as no official used to visit us. Only sometimes, officials from the forest department came to our area. We had to struggle a lot in order to get our names included in the voters’ list which happened only in 1998,” said Mohan Singh, the village head. The remoteness of the village can be gauged from the fact that the only sound one can hear is of an occasional vehicle of the armed forces making its way to the border outpost which is just a few kilometres away. Most of the youth of the village work either as daily wagers or farmers. With the arrival of the SSB in the area though, some hope has sparked amongst villagers of a better future. The border force has started providing basic amenities to villagers like solar lanterns, medical and public phone facilities as well as guidance for those youngsters who want to join the armed forces. In the pipeline, says Shyam Singh, inspector general, of SSB frontier Ranikhet, is a plan to light up around 10,000 homes in the border areas with solar units. SSB has collaborated to this effect with the NGO SCALE (Society to Create Awareness Towards Life & Environment). According to Arun Sinha, general secretary, SCALE, solar lanterns for use in villages like Thapliyalkheda are being manufactured in Uttarakhand for which units and workshops have been set up in Haldwani and other towns. Radha, a class nine student of Thapliyalkheda student who uses a solar lantern to study, says she wants to “become a doctor and cure everyone in the village.” Similar aspirations abound among other youngsters. Pooja Dhek, a 23-year-old graduate has recently appeared in the physical fitness test for entry into the SSB. “I want to get a government job so that I can support my family and do something for my village,” she says, eyes sparkling with hope for the future. Ryan Allen Jersey
Dip in power generation looms large
Catchment areas of Idukki reservoir have received less cumulative rainfall in September : Low water level in the Idukki reservoir owing to less cumulative rainfall in September has raised fears that there would be shortage in power generation during the peak summer season of March, April and May. The Periyar, main source of the Idukki reservoir, has virtually turned into a stream. As per official estimates, the cumulative rainfall in Idukki in September last was 1,553. 5 mm, while this year till September 26, it was 1,358.43 mm. Water level in the Idukki reservoir showed a decreasing trend last Saturday. This was owing to an increase in power generation and low inflow to the Periyar and other tributaries. An official at the Dam Monitoring and Research Station at Vazhathoppe told The Hindu on Monday that the average power generation from Friday was above 5 million units, which was the main reason for a decline in the reservoir level. However, it picked up on Monday after the generation level was considerably reduced, he added. This is the first time since the beginning of the southwest monsoon that the water level has shown a declining trend. The official said that during September, the average rainfall in the catchment areas is below 50 mm and only a rainfall above that level could result in an increased inflow, impacting the water level. Lowest level The increase in the water level per day was nominal, resulting in the lowest water level in September compared to the water level during the past three years. Water level in the Idukki dam on Monday was 2,351 ft. The same day last year, it was 2,359.16 ft. In 2014, the water level was 2,378.96 ft and in 2013, it was 2,3076.8 ft. The average power generation was below 2.5 mm since the beginning of the monsoon season. The Idukki dam is mainly reserved for the summer season, when there is a high demand for electricity in the State. Duke Johnson Authentic Jersey
Govt. exploring opportunities to set up nuclear power plants in U’khand, Punjab and Haryana, says Dr Jitendra Singh
The government is exploring possibilities of establishing nuclear power plants in northern states of Uttarakhand, Punjab and Haryana, union Minister for Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh said at an ASSOCHAM event. “The present government can stake claim of having set up an atomic energy plant in Gorakhpur in Haryana, so we have brought atomic energy northwards which it had been waiting for 60-70 years and we made it to cross through Delhi because atomic energy never had the opportunity to see the capital of this country,” said Dr Singh while inaugurating an ASSOCHAM conference on nuclear power in India. He said that atomic energy remained confined only to Maharashtra, the western coast, Tamil Nadu, parts of Andhra Pradesh. So now we are exploring the possibilities of having such establishments in other possible places for example, near Dehradun in Uttarakhand, in Punjab near Patiala and in Bhiwandi in Haryana are being explored as venues for atomic plants. Highlighting the cost-effective aspect of nuclear energy, he said “The nuclear power plant being set up in Haryana will become operational by about next year at the cost of just Rs. six per unit.” “Atomic energy had remained confined to certain parts of the country, in Tarapur for obvious reasons because Dr Bhabha had set up his first establishment in Mumbai then we had south but we hardly had any presence in north India,” he said. He also said that the government had diversified nuclear energy and got it into a huge way in academics through Bhabha National Institute. “The Bhabha National Institute has got into an understanding with Tata Atomic Institute in Mumbai and we are now helping it to award degrees in cancer,” said the Minister. He also said that within a period of next ten years India will have at least 25 percent source of energy from nuclear sector. “That is going to be a remarkable achievement because energy needs of the country are growing very fast and it is going to be cost-effective.” “The challenge would be to how best to put it (nuclear energy) to use,” said Dr Singh. He also said that the government was using space technology to safeguard the thorium which will come to be utilized very soon in the years to come when India will have new sets of nuclear reactors. “While we will have this advantage of being the part of the Department of Atomic Energy which was perhaps not so visible earlier, we will also have the challenge and responsibility about how best to use this increasing availability of energy with wider application and how to safeguard the pilferage of the energy as well as the energy source by way of pilferage,” said the minister. He also said that Dr Homi J. Bhabha had a vision to establish a nuclear centre and also to declare to the world that it would be devoted to the peaceful purposes at a time when peaceful purposes of nuclear energy were hardly known and it was only known as a creator of atomic bomb. Keenan Allen Womens Jersey
Electricity dept faces Rs 9 crore losses every month due to line loss in Bijnor
With an increase in technical glitches and theft of electricity, line loss in Bijnor district is on the rise. While at this time of the year, the line loss was only 16% in 2015, it has crossed 23% this year. According to sources in the electricity department, the department is facing about Rs 9 crore in losses every month. Keeping this in mind, the electricity department has planned to set up camps in the district wherein a target of getting 14,000 new connections in three months has been given. According to data with the superintendent engineer’s office, there are 4.18 lakh consumers in Bijnor district, of which 3.31 lakh are for domestic use, 36,428 commercial and 43,966 connections are for tubewells, while according to the DPRO’s office, there are a total of 7.5 lakh families in the district. About 50% of the families have no legal electricity connection. Superintendent engineer of the corporation, Ranjeet Singh, said, “Most of the losses are in rural areas as those consumers pay a fixed bill while they spend a lot of electricity. However, now we are setting up meters in rural areas also. There is also power theft. We have launched a checking campaign to put an end to this. Thousands of FIR have been filled against the people for stealing power. Technical faults also cause line losses.” On the increasing line losses, Singh said, “Earlier the average power supply every month was about 110 million units while this year average per month is 140 million units. It is a fact that when power supply increases, line losses also go up.” “To lessen the losses, we have started a campaign to provide connection to those who do not have it. The corporation had assigned a target of 41,587 connections in the district within three months. So far we have given about 4,000.” Jean-Gabriel Pageau Jersey
Raj becomes first state to adopt LED street lights in all urban local bodies
Rajasthan has become the first state to adopt centre’s Street Lighting National Programme (SLNP) in all its urban local bodies (ULB). Almost5 lakh conventional street lights have been replaced with LED street lights across the state. The project has been funded by Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL), a Public Energy Services Company under the administration of Ministry of Power, Government of India (GoI), at no cost to the state. In a statement, Managing Director of EESL Saurabh Kumar said that Udaipur and Ajmer lead the way to energy efficiency. EESL has replaced over 35 thousand conventional street in Udaipur, with an investment of over 25 crore which has resulted in reduction of peak load by 1.4thousand kWh, making them 51% more energy efficient. The project has resulted in energy saving of 6.36 million units per annum as well as monetary savings to the municipality of over Rs 4.4 crore. In Ajmer, over 33 thousand lamps have been replaced, with an investment of over 14 crore by EESL. The project here has benefited Ajmer with reduction in peak load of 58% which translates to over 4.6 million units of energy saved per annum and over 3.7 crore in monetary savings. Through implementation of this project energy savings achieved so far have been 152 million units, and cost saving to the municipality of Rs. 60 lakh daily. This has also resulted in reduction of 225 tonnes of CO2 per day, claimed state government employees. SLNP was launched on Jan 5, 2015, as part of which 3.5 crore conventional street lights will be replaced with smart and energy efficient LED street lights by March 2019. Chandler Jones Authentic Jersey