K. Venkateshwarlu MANNAVARAM: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday stressed on the need for bridging the gap between the supply and demand for power to enable the country achieve a higher rate of economic growth on a sustainable basis. He was speaking after laying the much- postponed foundation for Rs.6,000-crore NTPC-Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited's (BHEL) power equipment manufacturing plant here, 60 km from Tirupati. This is the largest public undertaking that Andhra Pradesh has got three decades after the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, amidst stiff competition from various States. Chief Minister K. Rosaiah could not make it to the event as he was indisposed. During a day-long visit to the Chittoor district, Dr. Singh also laid the foundation for the Tirupati International Airport at Renigunta and, in between, offered prayers at the Sri Venkateswara temple at Tirumala The joint venture, christened NTPC-BHEL Power Projects Limited (NBPPL), will manufacture and supply power equipment such as turbines, boilers and generators required for additional capacity of 5,000 MW per year by 2014-15. It is expected to provide direct employment to 6,000 people and indirect employment to 25,000 more through a host of ancillaries. Dr. Singh said that availability of affordable power was of critical importance for country's development. The Central government has drawn up an ambitious programme for addition of power generation capacity in the 11th and 12th Five-Year Plans. Such a large addition meant a much larger demand for power equipment.