Slow commissioning scale down capacity addition target for 11th plan(2007-12)

In what could prove to be a setback to India's growth in the power sector and reflects poorly on its performance, the Planning Commission has reduced the power generation capacity addition target by over 20 per cent to 62,374MW for the 11th Plan (2007-12) from the original 78,577 MW, in its mid-term review

In its mid term appraisal report, the Plan panel stated: “It is anticipated that additional power generation capacity of 45,234MW can be commissioned during the remaining period of the 11th Plan. The revised mid-term appraisal (MTA) target for total capacity addition is therefore of 62,374MW.” During 11th Plan, 19,207MW generation capacity was added till December 31, 2009. The government has set the capacity addition target of 78,577MW for the current Plan.

Although the 78,577MW target would not be met, the 62,374MW expected to be commissioned by the end of this Plan period would be three times of what was actually added in the 10th Plan (2002-07), the panel observed in its MTA. During the 10th Plan, 21,080MW was added against the target of 41,000 MW.