Bhopal, July 5: The state government on Friday categorically denied the allegations levelled by the opposition party that power generation in Madhya Pradesh has decreased during the last four years.

According to an official press statement facts and figures indicated that the charge of decrease in power generation in Madhya Pradesh is totally baseless. Instead, it has gone up during the last four and half years which is offset by average increase of 1.98 per cent in PLF or power plants utilisation factor.

The state government is also well versed with the meaning of RLA (Reducible Life Assessment) and therefore, it has undertaken extensive modernisation and renovation works in many power generation plants.

In an official refusal of charge levelled by an office-bearer of a political party, the Energy Department has made the position clear that despite the power plants machines becoming dated and obsolete, the department has been successful in achieving increase in PLF by 1.98 percent on a an average during the last four and a half years. The average annual PLF during this period has been 69.94 per cent while during the four years of previous regime it stood at only 67.96 per cent.

Giving the break-up, the department said that 70.21 per cent PLF was achieved in 2003-04, 72.04 per cent in 2004-05, 68.02 per cent in 2005-06, 70.54 per cent in 2006-07 and 68.90 per cent in 2007-08. Thus, average 69.94 PLF was achieved during these years.

The department has also refuted the charge of not conducting Reducible Life Assessment. It said that the RLA of boiler units number eight and nine and turbo generators number six and of 120 megawatt Amarkantak and boiler number 1 of Sanjay Gandhi thermal power plants has been conducted while work order of RLA of boiler number two of the same plant has been released.

Not only this, but works to the tune of Rs 124 crore are underway for renovation and maintenance of electric equipment, instrumentation and boiler control in units numbers three and four of 120 megawatt Amarkantak Thermal Power Plant are also underway.