New Delhi, Nov 2 (IANS): The government will unveil a comprehensive "Roadmap for power generation, transmission and distribution 2022" before the year-end, a senior official said Friday.

"A draft (Roadmap 2022) has already been circulated to stakeholders like manufacturing associations and states, and fifty percent of the state governments have already sent their responses to the plan," said Ambuj Sharma, joint secretary, Ministry of Heavy Industries.

The road map will spell out policy and implementation strategy that have to be followed in strengthening the power sector in the country and making it comparable to the system in developed countries.

Addressing an industry body CII-organised conference on Transmission and Distribution here, Sharma said the roadmap would have specific steps for time-bound completion of projects in generation and transmission and distribution (T and D) sector, automation, import of equipment, which cannot be locally sourced, and exports of equipment, where India has the competitive edge.

Another important plank of the policy would be skill development in various segments of the power sector in collaboration with the National Skill Development Corporation.

Sharma said the 12th Plan (2012-17) envisaged an electricity growth rate of 10 percent, which would be sufficient to take care of the backlog of past Plans and to meet the unprecedented demand expected during the Plan period.

Sharma assured substantive improvements in production of power generating equipment. As against the production of equipment to generate 35,000 MW in the 11th Plan, the current Plan has set an equipment production target for generation of 100,000 MW.

According to Sharma, the focus would be on developing inter-regional grid capacity. By the end of 11th plan, the country had a total inter-regional transmission capacity of about 28,000 MW which is expected to be enhanced to about 65,000 MW at the end of the 12th plan.

Growing power demand in future could be through augmenting generation, strengthening transmission and distribution, besides conservation and elimination of transmission losses, said Sharma.

While there is a shortage of power, power generated in some micro power stations is not evacuated for want of proper transmission infrastructure, he added.

I.A. Khan, advisor (Energy) Planning Commission, said the southern region will be connected to the national grid very soon.

He also told the conference that smart grids in identified locations are being developed and in this regard a pilot project is being implemented in Puducherry on an experimental basis.