Bangla Govt to add 2,000 MW of power in 5 years

The Bangla Government is planning to add 2,000 megawatt (MW) of power over the next five years and is also planning to incorporate the latest technologies to reduce distribution and transmission losses. These decisions were announced by the State Power Minister at the 9th Energy Conclave organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) recently.

The 2,000MW will be a mix of thermal and hydro, as well as of solar and other alternative sources of power. Part of the 2,000 MW will be 300 MW of solar power.

According to the minister, efforts are also being made to improve the quality of power. Old thermal power plants are gradually being replaced by modern facilities to improve efficiency in power generation.

The State Government has already made a significant improvement in the field of power generation. Renewable energy has been given special thrust since Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee came to power.

The minister said at the conclave that renewable energy has become an important component for achieving energy security. From 1 MW when the Trinamool Congress came to power, solar power capacity of Bangla is now around 200 MW.

IT sector growing rapidly in Bangla

The information technology (IT) sector in Bangla is growing at a fast pace. Under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, there has been a lot of growth in the sector, and the Information Technology & Electronics Department is the department driving this growth.

Almost 80% overall growth in IT business: The State now has a presence of about 894 IT companies, up from nearly 500 in 2010-11, showing a rise of almost 80 per cent in the IT business.

Many of the leading IT software companies are operating and expanding their facilities in the State at the moment.

The vision: The vision of the State Government, as described in its ICT Policy 2012, is to become one of the leading States in India in the IT and ITeS, and ESDM sectors and to enable Bangla to transform into a knowledge-driven welfare society.

67 per cent growth in employment: From the financial year (FY) 2010-11 figure of 90,000, the IT sector today employs more than 1,50,000 IT professionals – a growth of about 67 per cent. The projected figure for employment for FY 2018-19 is at least 1.8 lakh, of which almost 50,000 will be covered through the IT parks developed by the State Government.

Almost 150 per cent growth in export: The total export by the IT industry of the State was Rs 21,000 crore during FY 2017-18, compared to Rs 8,500 crore during 2010-11, showing a growth of about 150 per cent in seven years.