If the Centre fails to give gas linkage to Nedunur and Shankarampally power projects in Telangana, the state government will explore the possibility of converting them into thermal power projects.
After his broadside on Union petroleum minister S Jaipal Reddy on Friday for non-allocation of gas to the power plants in the state, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Saturday decided to bring pressure on the Centre to see that the two proposed gas-based power plants get the required gas. The state government will ask the Centre to state clearly whether it would supply gas for the two proposed projects or not.
The state government will ask the Centre to give fertiliser project status and supply gas for these two Telangana projects on a priority basis. "If sufficient gas is not available at the Centre, then the state will seek coal linkage for the plants," according to sources. The CM wanted the power utility officials to explore possibility of converting gas-based power plants into coal-based projects.