Thursday, May 5 2005 08:09 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: The Centre yesterday (May 4, 2005) assured Maharashtra to explore all ways to help it overcome the severe power crisis.

"We will explore all ways and means to help the State meet the energy shortfall," Union Power Minister P M Sayeed told reporters after a meeting with Maharashtra Chief Minister Vilasrao Deshmukh in New Delhi.

Sayeed's remarks came in response to a question about the proposal to provide 500MW power to Maharashtra from Tarapur Nuclear Power Plant and Kawas and Gandhar projects of National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Gujarat to meet the State's huge energy shortfall.

Deshmukh is scheduled to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today (May 5, 2005) to discuss long-term plans to tide over the power crisis in the State.

In the meeting with Singh, issues of setting up NTPC projects at Mauda and Wani in the State is likely to be discussed.

Deshmukh, who had met Union Power Secretary on Tuesday (May 3, 2005) night, told reporters that he had sought Centre's help to meet the energy shortfall in the State through various Central schemes and NTPC projects.

Facing the worst power crisis in recent years, Maharashtra has a peak hour shortfall of over 3,500 MW, which has led to load shedding in various parts of the State. Some rural areas of the State have been facing power cuts for over nine hours.

Irate mobs, including Shiv Sena activists, have attacked offices of Maharashtra State Electricity Board in several cities giving vent to their anger to the worsening power crisis.