Rs.10,000 crore for power transmission in northeast

The union power ministry has rolled out a Rs.10,000 crore project to strengthen the transmission and distribution network in the the eight northeastern states of the region, Power Minister Piyush Goyal said here on Thursday.

The minister was participating in the two-day all-India power ministers conference, being held at the Administrative Staff College here.

"The Rs.10,000 crore project will boost the power transmission and distribution network. The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) has started work. The 6000 MW Biswanath Chariali-Agra transmission will be ready in another three to three-and-half months," Goyal said.

He said the stalled projects on the Teesta river in Sikkim were expected to be completed by 2015.

The central government will consider the interest of Assam while taking the final resolution on the 2000 MW Lower Subansiri hydro power project along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, he said.

Work on this hydro power project has been stalled since 2011 following massive public protest from anti-dam groups, particularly in Assam, who say the project will lead to environmental disaster in downstream states like Assam.

"The power ministry together with people and technical experts will resolve the concerns regarding the Lower Subansiri project. We will look after the interest of the people of the region," he assured.

"We have started the Teesta hydro electric project. Investment of over Rs.12,000-13,000 crore has already been made," he said.

The ONGC's first power venture 2x363.3 MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine at Palatana in Tripura has already been commissioned, he said.

Another 100 MW capacity addition has been done to the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation's (NEEPCO) Monarchak project in Tripura.

"The transmission line between Silchar and Imphal has also been completed with an investment of Rs.500 crore," he said.