Chief Minister B.S. Yeddyurappa on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give directions to his Ministers concerned for providing early environmental clearance and coal linkages for various power projects of the State so that it could tide over the present power crisis.
Mr. Yeddyurappa, who met Dr. Singh, along with Power Minister Shobha Karandlaje, in a memorandum, pointed out that his government had planned to set up two units of 800 MW each at Yeramarus Thermal Power Plant and one unit of 700 MW at the Bellary Thermal Power Project. But no coal allocation had been made for them.
Similarly, the State could not proceed with its proposed Thermal Power Projects — one unit of 800 MW at Edlapura and two units of 800 MW each Godhna Super Critical Thermal Power Project in Chhattisgarh — as the Union Environment Ministry had not given the environmental clearance. The Coal Ministry was insisting that the coal linkage could not be given unless the projects get environmental clearance and hence the works get delayed thus affecting Karnataka.
He pointed out to the Prime Minister that in some of the projects land had been acquired, civil works going on and even orders placed with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited for supply of equipment and machinery.
The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited was also planning to set up gas-based power projects — two units of 700 MW each Power Plant near Bangalore and 3 units of 700 MW each plant near Tadari coastal area — he said and sought allocation of domestic gas for these Projects.
Later Mr. Yeddyurappa told presspersons that Dr. Singh promised to consider the State's request positively.
On the Cabinet reshuffle in Karnataka he said it would be done in due course.
To a question he said Karnataka, which was power surplus during the 70s, was facing acute power deficit at present. The BJP Government had taken proactive steps to meet the current deficit as well as future requirements. The KPCL had worked out plans for creating additional capacities during the 12th Plan.
