2010 Games venues to get 24 X 7 power: CM

Chief minister Sheila Dikshit assured continuous power supply at all 2010 Commonwealth Games venues. She also told that the largest gas-based power project in northern India at Bawana would be commissioned months before the Games.

Dikshit made these claims after auditing the Pragati Power III project with Union minister of state for power Jairam Ramesh on Saturday. She further stated that the 150 MW Bawana power project was being considered for a certificate giving it mega power status.

Dikshit's visit comes days after she had held a review meeting on power related issues with officials where she had asked discoms to take steps to bring relief to the consumers.

The chief minister also stated that gas supply arrangements have already been signed with GAIL, IOC and BPCL and that GAIL had started laying the pipeline and installation of gas terminal at site. An official release said a turnkey contract was awarded to BHEL on April 30 this year and NTPC has been engaged as consultant on the project. BHEL has already placed order for gas turbines and their tests would be conducted in February 2009.

Dikshit also stated that gas turbine-I would start generating 250 MW in March 2010, gas turbine-II would generate another 250 MW in May, gas turbine-III would also generate 250 MW in July. A steam turbine-I would generate 250 MW in July 2010 whereas rest 500 MW would be generated before commencement of the Games by gas turbine-IV and steam turbine-II.

Meanwhile, Haryana chief minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda recently claimed that the first unit of 500 MW of the 1500 MW Indira Gandhi Super Thermal Power project at Jhajjar would commence power generation by June 2010. As per agreement between the two states, Delhi and Haryana would have 50-50 share of the electricity generated from the plant.