INDIAN STATE : PUNJAB

Power

With the approval of electricity bill 2003 by the parliament, the power sector reforms have also speeded up in the state. Reforms such as availability of quality power at an competitive rates to the customer have been undertaken in the power sector with the proposals of Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB).

In 2006,GNDTP thermal plant saw the maximum growth in power generation of nearly 24 per cent. Further, during 2006-07, Guru Gobind Singh super thermal plant registered the highest thermal power generation at 4,909 million KwH, witnessing an increase of 6 per cent.

Among the hydro power plants in the state, RSDP power plant generated 220 million KwH of power followed by ASHP hydel power plant at 75 million KwH and Shanan power plant at 57 million KwH during 2006. During 2006,hydroelectricity produced by RSDP power plant was the highest at 1,071 million KwH.

The Government of Punjab has set the following objectives to reform the power sector:

• Achieving commercial viability. PSEB earned a whooping commercial profit of about Rs. 180 crores during 2003-04.
  
• Providing reliable quality power to all the consumers in the state at the affordable rates.
  
• Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between Ministry of Power, Govt. of India and Govt. of Punjab on 30.3.2001 to affirm the joint commitment of two parties to reform the power sector in the State.

Energy

The Punjab state is dependent mainly on thermal, hydel and solar power. The main source of power in the state all along has been hydroelectric power and thermal power. For thermal power, the state has three power stations at Bathinda, Ropar and Lehra Mohabbat. Another, rice straw plant of 10 MW at Jalkhari has been leased out w.e.f. 24.7.02.

Considering some alternative sources of energy, the scope for solar energy is very wide in the state and biogas can also meet the requirements of rural people to a limited extent.

Energy is one of the crucial infrastructures for economic development of the state. Government has been making higher allocation for this sector to meet the demand for electricity in the state. During 2005 out of total plan outlay of Rs. 3550.00 crores, a sum of Rs.964.65 crores (27.17 percent) has been approved for energy .The installed plant capacity generation was 4450 MW in the year 2005-06.

Electricity

Installed plant capacity: During the 2005-06, installed plant capacity for electric power generation in the State is 4450 MW.

Plant load factor: Thermal power plants are expected to generate a plant load factor of 74.69 percent during 2005-06 as against 77.45 percent during 2004-05.

Electricity Generation During 2006 total power generation in Punjab rose by 5.7 per cent to 1,768 million KwH. Around 75.7 per cent of the total power generation came from the thermal power plants. In absolute terms, thermal power generation was 1,338 million KwH while hydel power generation was 430 million KwH. During 2006-07 total power generation in the state was 10,370 million KwH. Thermal power generation rose by 6.6 to 7,729 million KwH.

Tube wells energized As many as 31212 tube wells were energised during 2004-05(P) thus bringing the progressive total of energised tube wells to 912889 in the state, to meet the increasing demand for irrigation facilities.

Transmission and Distribution (T&D) losses: As per estimates of financial resources of Punjab State Electricity Board, transmission and distribution losses (Technical & Non Technical) is estimated to be 24.00 percent during 2005-06. There is a scope to curb these losses in the state. The energy saved from such losses will increase its availability.

Biogas plants provide energy in a clean and non-polluted form in rural areas. It also produces nitrogen-enriched manure, which helps in raising crop production. Department of Agriculture Punjab has installed 477 and Punjab Energy Development Agency has installed 1000 Bio gas plants during 2004-05.

Social Infrastructure

Education

Punjab is ranked seventh in terms of education amongst the states. With growing pace of industrialization in Punjab, the main stress has been on expansion, modernisation and reorientation of technical education and industrial training system so as to match it with emerging technologies for ensuring quality manpower availability to the industrial sector. The basic objective is to produce engineers, technicians and craftsmen who are viewed as assets by the Industry of world-class capability. For this purpose, besides opening up new Engineering colleges, Polytechnics and Industrial training in the emerging areas, the existing institutions are being modernized by providing new equipment and machinery with the assistance of World Bank as also the state government. To consolidate the development in these fields, a new full fledge 'Punjab Technical University' at Jalandhar has been established.

Four Directorates function under the Punjab Education Department:

• Directorate of Public Instruction (Colleges)
  
• Directorate of Secondary Education
  
• Directorate of Primary Education
  
• Directorate of State Council of Educational Research and Training (SCERT).

Punjab has a well-developed educational system consisting of the following:

• 5 Universities.
• 2 deemed universities.
• 38 Engineering Colleges from which 9,455 students pass out each year.
  
• 57 MBA & BBA Colleges from which 2,000 students pass out each year.
• 25 MCA Colleges from which 1,180 students pass out each year.
• 355 undergraduate Colleges from which 44,000 students pass out each year.
• 75 post graduate Colleges from which 16,032 students pass out each year.