World Bank aid for power projects in northeast

The World Bank would provide a major share of Rs.8,150 crore for improving power transmission system in six northeastern states, officials said Friday.

State-owned Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. (PGCIL) would execute the World Bank-aided projects in six of the eight northeastern states.

"Under the World Bank, new power transmission lines would be erected, power sub-stations would be set up and old lines would be changed. Modern methods for power transmission would be adopted," said a senior PGCIL official.

He said: "The PGCIL signed agreements with Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura last year for the implementation of 'North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project'."

The official said the World Bank would provide a major portion of Rs.8,150 crore as a loan for the project. "Under this project, capacity of existing power transmission lines, transmission sub-stations would be improved in a phased manner."

The PGCIL, a 'Navaratna' public sector company, would also provide technical and managerial support for inter-state transmission and distribution system.

A World Bank team met Tripura Power Minister Manik Dey here Thursday and discussed the ways and means to implement the project.

Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited chairman Shyamal Kumar Roy said under the project, the state would get Rs.1,364 crore.

"Environmental and social security aspects would be looked into while implementing the project," Roy told reporters.

While inaugurating a power sub-station at Kailashahar in Tripura Friday, the minister said 90 percent of people have been provided with electricity and the remaining would get it within the next two years.

"Within the next few months, Tripura would be a power surplus state," he said.

State-owned Oil and Natural Gas Corporation has commissioned its biggest ever 726 MW capacity commercial power project at Palatana, 60 km from Agartala.

The power generation from the first unit (363 MW) of the Rs.9,000-crore Palatana power plant began December 2013 and the second unit (363 MW) is expected to start generating electricity by next month.