Kolar (Karnataka): Expressing concern over "alarming" power theft which amounted to Rs 20,000 crore annually, Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee on February 14 called for initiating immediate action to prevent it.

Commissioning the 2,000 mega watt (MW) high voltage direct current (HVDC) bipole power project of Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), he also called for emphasis on power sector reforms and for reducing transmission and distribution losses.

Noting that power consumption in the country was lower when compared to other nations, he said efforts must be made to increase energy consumption, which was an index to measure the development status of a country.

Vajpayee said 14 states were reeling under acute drought conditions and this had pushed up power consumption, underlining the need for increasing power production. "Power production should be launched as a movement."

The Prime Minister complimented the PGCIL for completing the Rs 3,100 crore project nine months ahead of schedule which had resulted in a saving of Rs 700 crore. This should be emulated in all other power projects too.

PGCIL officials said this is the first project wherein the entire power generated in one region is utilised by another region in a trans-regional transmission.

A HVDC transmission system from Talcher in Orissa to Kolar covering a distance of 1,400 km spread over the states of Orissa, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu has been constructed under the project.

PTI