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Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Tuesday instructed officials of the Energy Department to accelerate efforts to double power generation in Uttarakhand over the next five years.
During a review meeting of the Energy Department, Dhami emphasised the need for enhanced coordination among the three key power corporations-- Uttarakhand Power Corporation Limited (UPCL), Uttarakhand Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), and Power Transmission Corporation of Uttarakhand Limited (PTCUL)--to achieve this goal. The Chief Minister also directed the three corporations to complete the projects on time, according to an official statement. Dhami stressed the importance of timely completion of energy projects, citing energy and tourism as foundational elements of Uttarakhand's formation. He also called for a safety audit of all transformers during the rainy season and urged for rapid development of industrial institutions in the state to boost power generation. The Chief Minister said that the small hydropower projects which are currently being worked on should be completed expeditiously. Electricity availability should be ensured through solar rooftops in government buildings. More efforts should be made in this direction so that more and more youth get self-employment from the Chief Minister Solar Self-Employment Scheme. It should be ensured that a maximum number of people get the benefit of the PM Surya Ghar Free Electricity Scheme in the state, he stressed. Dhami directed that the process of building new powerhouses and updating the transmission line be expedited. The Chief Minister has also given instructions to work on an effective plan to reduce line loss and to work expeditiously on the plans to make power lines underground, the statement said. In the meeting, it was reported that six small hydropower projects totalling 121 MW are underway, out of which 24 MW Melekhet and 21 MW Khutani Hydroelectric Project will be completed by December 2026, while work on 22.80 MW Bernigad and 06 MW Rayat Hydroelectric Project will be started in the next two years. He added that under the pump storage project in the state, a preliminary feasibility report is being prepared on the 200 MW Lakhwar-Byasi, 150 MW Byasi-Katta Patthar and 168 MW Kalagarh projects. 1 MW each Tiloth, Khatima and Dhakrani battery are being developed under an energy storage system. (ANI)
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