At a Board meeting chaired by Nalin Bhatt on Tuesday, the members decided to release these connections on priority basis. Sources said the Chamber of Commerce had recently emphasised the urgency of having the industrial connections released at the earliest.

Member (Administration) S K Nanda said though 70 per cent work on the connections had been completed, a committee comprising the chairman and three members (administration, finance and technical) had been formed to monitor the purchase of equipment. Weekly meetings would review the progress on the issue, he added.

Nanda said they had also decided to expedite the process of giving tatkal and rural connections. Sub-divisional officers had been instructed to ensure there was no delay in the process, he said, adding that engineers -- posted in the head office till now -- had been asked to move into the field to check on the progress.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat Industries Power Company Limited managing director J N Singh presented a cheque for Rs 2.91 crore to the Gujarat Electricity Board chairman as shareholders' dividend. The company declared a dividend of Rs 13 crore for the financial year 1997-98.

Apart from the Gujarat Electricity Board, Gujarat State Fertiliser Corporation will receive Rs 3 crores and the GACL Rs 2.5 crores.