Shinde set to face off with Jairam over power projects

After locking horns with Aviation Minister Praful Patel over the proposed Navi Mumbai airport, Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is set for a face-off with Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

After locking horns with Aviation Minister Praful Patel over the proposed Navi Mumbai airport, Union Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is set for a face-off with Union Power Minister Sushilkumar Shinde.

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Shinde said on Friday that his ministry would not tolerate the unnecessary raising of environmental concerns that were stalling power projects across India.

Without naming Ramesh, he said development could not be stopped at the whim of one person.

Recently, the Centre cancelled a 600-megawatt (MW) hydropower project at Loharinag-Pala in Uttarakhand following concerns raised by environmentalists and locals. The Centre will have to pay the promoters Rs 600 crore as compensation. Shinde said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has called a meeting on October 13 of the coal, environment and power ministers.

Speaking after the inauguration of a conference on nuclear energy, Shinde detailed a plan for adding 62,000 MW of capacity in the 11th Plan (2007-12).

Another 1,00,000 MW is scheduled to go online during the 12th Plan. There is also a plan to raise nuclear power generation to 60,000 MW from the present 4,500 MW over the next 20 years.