After two years of industrial recession, the pickup in the overall industrial growth is a very good sign. Major industrial sectors have already evinced signs of recovery and rest are likely to hit the road to recovery in the coming months.

Energy, being an engine of growth, is going to play an important role in the robust industrial and economic development of the country, especially when all projections are indicating recovery and speedy growth in the coming years. Even International Eenergy analysts have projected steep increase in India’s per capita power consumption and highest over growth after China.

Though the Government is already giving special emphasis on the energy sector, the budget 2010- 11 has accorded highest priority to capacity addition in power sector. Government has proposed to increase the Central Plan Outlay to energy sector from Rs 1,09,685 crores (revised estimate for 2009- 10) to Rs 1,46,579 crores for the year 2010-11. Out of this, the Ministry of Power has been allocated Rs 60,751.42 crores , Rs 4,739 crores goes for Nuclear Power Schemes, Rs 69,494.79 crores to the Petroleum and Natural Gas Ministry, Rs 13,518 to the Ministry of Coal and Rs 1,950 crores to the New and Renewable Energy Ministry.

Power

The outlay for the Ministry of Power has been increased from Rs 56,955 crores to Rs 60,751 crores, giving maximum allocation to two schemes- Accelerated Power Development and Reform Program (APDRP) and Rajeev Gandhi Gramin Vidyutikaran Yojna.