Rajasthan failed to achieve power generation target: CAG Report

Rajasthan has failed to realize targeted addition in power generation as the capacity addition between 2005 and 2010 was much short of the target, a Comptroller and Auditor General(CAG) report pointed out recently. "As against the envisaged capacity addition of 3,020 MW to meet the energy generation requirement in the state between 2005 and 2010, the actual addition was 2,519.82 MW. "In state sector, though 1,525 MW of capacity was planned to be added by the government controlled Rajasthan Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited (RRVUNL), the actual addition was only 525 MW during the period," according to the report, which was tabled in the state assembly on Wednesday. "Despite having pumped in 94 per cent of its targeted investment in power sector companies in 2009-10, the state has not been able to meet its envisaged capacity addition during the aforesaid period due to gross ineffective project management, time overrun etc," the report added.
The time overrun varied between 12.5 months and 48 months, and had been attributed to various reasons such as delay in signing of gas supply agreement for gas-based plants, finalisation and approval of drawings, execution of work of main plant by the Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) etc, the report observed. It added that in fact, three units could not be commercially operated even after synchronisation due to technical problems that were not solved even till September last year. In other audits of power companies, the CAG has detected a cash embezzlement of Rs 35.35 lakh at the Ajmer Vidyut Vitran Nigam Limited that has extended the contract period of the collecting agent even after being aware of financial and other irregularities by it.