Development of BHEL is top priority for new heavy industries minister

Pon Radhakrishnan, MoS for heavy industries 

MAY 27 was the first day for the Narendra Modi-led BJP Government in office and not surprisingly ministers get down to work by familiarising the tasks they will be dealing for the next five years. As PSU heads are awaiting eagerly to hear from the new minister of state for heavy industries and public enterprises in Narendra Modi-led Government Pon Radhakrishnan, the minister said he will...
focus on Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL's) development.
He also said that he will take steps to bring more heavy industries to Tamil Nadu and will look at bringing more small industries to southern districts, especially to Kanyakumari, from where he won the Lok Sabha election.
Fondly called 'Ponnar' by the BJP party cadres, the 62-year old Pon Radhakrishnan belongs to an illustrious Nadar family from Alathankarai, Nagercoil and won the Kanyakumari seat as a BJP candidate.
A key factor that worked in Radhakrishnan's favour in the 2014 Lok Sabha election, the electors, especially among first-time voters, thought that he will get an influential portfolio if the BJP forms the government, due to his proximity to Modi.
Speaking to a television channel he said, "I will focus on BHEL's development, considering it a major heavy industry in the State," he said. It may be noted that the public sector company currently has plants in Tiruchi, Ranipet and at Pudukottai.
He added, he will take steps to bring new heavy industries to the State to create employment. Speaking about Kanyakumari, from where he was elected to the Parliament, Radhakrishnan said, "in Kanyakumari there are no crorepathis, ideal is small industries. At the same we will look at viable options to bringing heavy industries here," he said.
A lawyer by profession, Radhakrishnan joined the Hindu Munnani, a right-wing organisation in the 1990s. In the 1999 Lok Sabha elections, he first won on a BJP ticket from Nagercoil. The party had won three other seats in the same elections.
Radhakrishnan lost the same seat in 2004 and 2009.
State-owned power equipment maker BHEL has recently commissioned all the four units of the 520 MW Parbati hydro electricity project in Himachal Pradesh. "With the commissioning of the fourth and final 130 MW hydro generating unit at Parbati project in Himachal Pradesh, BHEL has commissioned all the four units of the underground hydro power plant of NHPC ," Bhel said in a statement today. The first three units at Parbati project were commissioned by BHEL in February and March 2014. Parbati project is located near village Bihali in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh. BHEL's scope of work in the project included supply and installation of turbines, control and monitoring system, associated station auxiliaries, Gas Insulated Switch gear and electrical and mechanical Balance of Plant (BoP). Also read: BHEL signs pact with Indonesian firm to set up power plant BHEL is executing three more hydro projects of NHPC — 3x110 MW Kishanganga in Jammu & Kashmir, 4x40 MW Teesta Low Dam in West Bengal and 4x200 MW Parbati II in Himachal Pradesh, which are in different stages of execution, the statement said.
With the commissioning of the fourth and final 130 MW hydro generating unit at Parbati project in Himachal Pradesh, BHEL has commissioned all the four units of the underground hydro power plant of NHPC ," Bhel said in a statement today.
The first three units at Parbati project were commissioned by BHEL in February and March 2014. Parbati project is located near village Bihali in Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh.
BHEL's scope of work in the project included supply and installation of turbines, control and monitoring system, associated station auxiliaries, Gas Insulated Switchgear and electrical and mechanical Balance of Plant (BoP)
The PSU power equipment maker last week also signed an initial agreement with PT Star Vyobros, Indonesia for setting up a 200 MW coal fired plant in the island nation. It has signed an MoU with PT Star Vyobros, Indonesia for setting up a 200 MW coal fired power plant in Sulawesi region in Indonesia, BHEL said in a statement.
BHEL earlier signed one more MoU with PT APAC INTI, Indonesia for setting up a 25 MW-30 MW Solar Photovoltaic based power plant in the Java region in Indonesia, the statement said. In Indonesia, BHEL is executing a coal-fired power plant for PT CKP, besides having commissioned two more coal-fired power plants in recent years.