In a significant decision, Punjab government has approved two projects of Rs 3,225 crore for modernisation and up gradation of the existing power transmission and distribution system in Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Bathinda, Mohali and Patiala. Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal took a decision to this effect while presiding over a high-level meeting of Punjab State Electricity Board on Wednesday.
The chief minister said that the state government would raise around Rs 800 crore as seed money for these projects. Upgradation of the entire power network system had become mandatory both in urban as well as rural sectors because of the 23.91% of total power loss caused due to the snags in the prevalent transmission and distribution system, he added. It was informed in the meeting that the state was losing Rs 1,000 crore annually on this count which was much higher than the national figure.
Giving details Badal said that the state government had approved Rs 1,990 crore for transmission project and Rs 1,235 crore for distribution project. The projects would be completed in two-and-a-half years and help reducing the losses by 15%.