Nagpur: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday warned of strict action against Mahavitaran officers and employees who fail to respond to consumer complaints during power outages, even as the state unveiled an ambitious roadmap to meet rapidly rising electricity demand over the next decade.Replying to questions raised in the Assembly, Fadnavis, also the energy minister, acknowledged that frequent power disruptions during the summer caused inconvenience to consumers in several parts of the state, including Nagpur. He admitted complaints of power outages were received from his Southwest constituency too.Taking serious note of complaints that Mahavitaran officials were not responding to calls, messages and complaints on outages, he warned that accountability would be enforced. “Action will be taken against officers and employees who do not take note of complaints,” he told the House.Fadnavis attributed the pressure on the power network to an unprecedented surge in demand. He said the prolonged summer and growing industrial activity pushed Maharashtra’s power demand up by 19.5% compared to last year, including an increase of nearly 4,000 MW during the peak season.“Although electricity was supplied as per demand, the sharp rise in consumption placed additional stress on existing infrastructure, resulting in disruptions in some areas,” he said.Addressing concerns from Nagpur legislators, Fadnavis said two new power substations were proposed for the city, with land already approved. The projects would benefit both West and Southwest constituencies. A review meeting would be held shortly to expedite the projects,he added.The CM also outlined Mahavitaran’s long-term demand adequacy plan. Under the strategy, the utility has signed power buy agreements for 43,870 MW over the next five years. As these projects are commissioned in phases, Maharashtra’s installed generation capacity is expected to reach 78,591 MW by 2031-32.Fadnavis said the govt successfully secured electricity from the open market at 4.60 per unit this summer, significantly lower than the 11 per unit paid in previous years, owing to advance procurement planning and effective implementation of existing contracts. The state is examining proposals for two 800 MW supercritical thermal power projects at Koradi and Chandrapur.
