NE Power Ministers call for development of power projects in region

Power Ministers from the northeastern states on Wednesday called for development of power projects for the overall socio-economic development of the region.

At the North Eastern Region Power Committee (NERPC) meeting here, Arunachal Pradesh Power Minister Tamiyo Taga was more critical on non-starting of power projects in his state due to opposition by several groups in Assam.

"Arunachal Pradesh is the power storage house of India. More than 50,000 MW of power can be produced in Arunachal and more than 300 power projects has been signed but none of them has started to develop these power projects," he said.

"At Tsangpo river (known in India as Brahmaputra), so many hydel projects have been built and even commissioned also, but in the Siang river in India's Aruanchal Pradesh, no project is coming up because of the downstream agitation," he said.

Voicing serious concerns on opposition by several groups in Assam against construction of dams in Arunachal, Taga said they don't protest Chinese projects but are vocal against Arunachal's efforts.

Nagaland Power Minister C. Kipili Sangtam has urged the central government to completely fund power projects in the region for its overall socio-economic development, while Tripura Power Minister Manik Dey accused Union Power Ministry of depriving the northeastern states while sanctioning centrally sponsored schemes like Integrated Power Development Scheme (IPDS) & Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana.

Dey also wondered that with the above meager sanction amount how can state meet the objective of 24X7 Power for All (PFA) as declared by the central government.

Assam's Minister of State for Power Pallab Lochan Das advocated creation of robust transmission system within the region as well as inter-regional links with 90 per cent grant from the central government to accelerate the pace of capacity addition in the region.

NERPC Chairman and Meghalaya Power Minister Comingone Ymbon urged the central government to give a special focus on the overall development of power sector in the region, noting it is endowed with abundant resources for development of power especially hydro potential but most of these remain untapped.

Meanwhile, NERPC Director K Lyngkhoi said that the meeting has resolved to urged the Union Power Ministry to adopt an alternative mechanism to reduce high point of connection (transmission charges) charged by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd.

--IANS

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