Assam to provide security for early completion of power projects

Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi today reviewed the power scenario of the state with power minister Pradyut Bordoloi and asked the home department to ensure security at ongoing power project sites.

With demand of power shooting up steadily, Assam is battling severe power shortage of late. The peak hour demand of power in Assam is around 1250-1300 MW. The 750 MW Bongaigaon thermal power plant now being revived by NTPC also figured in the discussion. The Rs 4,750-crore project is power generator NTPC Ltd's maiden North-Eastern venture. As the progress of the project has been severely hit by a host of issues including frequent bandhs, mass exodus of workforce, heavy monsoon and slow progress of civil works by contractors, Gogoi has asked MGVK Bhanu, principal secretary of home department, to visit the project site and to ensure full remobilization of agencies, including security.

The Chief Minister underscored the need to improve the power scenario by completing the several projects under various stages of progress. The meeting also discussed the modernisation of Lakwa thermal power project to make it more viable and cost-effective. It also took up the 150 MW Lower Kopili hydro project and the acquisition of around 100 acres of land involving Rs 84 crore for phase-wise construction of the project.

Besides, the state government has also taken up the 6-MW Lungnit and 9-MW Myntriang small hydel projects. Gogoi said the power department should not bank heavily on state's sustenance but to generate revenue on its own.