Mansa (Punjab), Nov 25 (IANS): Claiming that Punjab would soon become a power-surplus state, Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal Monday said that electricity would be supplied to consumers at cheapest rates in the country.

Addressing a gathering at the inauguration of the first unit of the 1,980 MW Talwandi Sabo power plant in Baanwala village of Mansa district, 230 km from Chandigarh, Badal said that Punjab would become a power-surplus state with the commissioning of new plants in coming months.

The 660 MW first unit of the 1,980 MW super critical thermal power plant here, which has been built by the private sector Vedanta Group, was commissioned by Badal Monday. Once complete, the power plant will cost of Rs.11,000 crore.

Badal said the power project would boost industrialization in the Malwa belt of south-west Punjab.

Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal said the first unit of the 1,400 MW Rajpura Thermal Power Plant would be commissioned Dec 8.