Prime Minister Manmohan Singh laid the foundation stone of NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Private Limited?s manufacturing plant at Mannavaram village in Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh on Wednesday.
?Availability of affordable power is of critical importance for our country’s development. We must bridge the gap between the supply and demand of power if we are to achieve higher rates of economic growth on a sustained basis. Therefore, we have drawn up an ambitious programme for addition of power generation capacity in the 11th and 12th five year plans,? Singh said in his address.
?I am told that an amount of nearly Rs.6000 crore will be invested over a period of five years to fully establish this manufacturing plant,? he added.
The plant will be able to produce power equipment required for additional capacity of 5000 MW per year by 2014-15. It will provide direct employment to 6000 men and women and indirect employment to another 25000.