National power mgmt board to monitor projects

 "The Accelerated Power Development Reforms Development Programme (APDRP) scheme is being revised, and a National Power Project Management Board will be set up to assist state and central utilities to ensure timely completion of all power projects," Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said today.

 The board assumes importance as the country had failed to achieve the capacity addition target for the 10th Plan period (2002-07). As against the targeted 41,000 MW, only 22,000 MW was added during the five years till 2007.

 Singh, after dedicating the high-capacity link East-North Tala transmission system to the country, said that states should set up special courts to try cases of power theft. "We had agreed that as losses come down to agreed levels, we will reward performing states appropriately," he said, and pointed out that his government would provide required financial assistance for upgrading transmission and distribution systems.

 "The time has come for us to address the challenge on the energy front on a war footing. The complacency of the past, be it with respect to conventional or non-conventional sources of power, or indeed nuclear power, must end. The people of our country are not going to wait endlessly for us to sort out our administrative, political and theological problems," he said.

 The Tala transmission system is the first high capacity link built jointly by Powergrid and Powerlinks (a Tata Power company) at a cost of Rs 2,800 crore through public-private partnership.