Arunachal Poweer minister wants thermal power plant in state

Arunachal Pradesh Power & NCER Minister T N Thongdok has advocated immediate submission of a proposal to the Union ministry of Coal and Mines for setting up a coal-pit thermal power plant at Kharsang in Changlang district.
Addressing a meeting here yesterday to discuss issues related to execution of 10 MW gas-based power project at Kumchai and thermal power plant at Kharsang, the minister directed the power commissioner to prepare a DPR in consultation with the department of geology and mines, an official press note said today.
Thongdok said that the Union minister of state for Power, Mines etc had shown keen interest in setting up of thermal power plants wherever coal is available during the conference held on June 16 -17 last at Goa.

At present gas available is about 30,000 SCMD from the existing well whereas they would require 55,000 SCMD for the proposed project.
The construction period of the proposed project would be one year and they would require taking up drilling of three more wells, the officials said in the meeting.
They further apprised that the mining lease permission and forest clearance issued by the state government for the present wells have already expired and they requested the state government to issue fresh mining lease permission and forest clearance.

The foundation stone of the proposed 10 MW gas based power project at Kumchai and Nursing school at Namsai was laid at Itanagar by former union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas Veerappa Moily as a CSR scheme.

However, Oil India Ltd has desired for signing a MoU with the state government for purchase of power from the project.
As there was no provision for employment of local Arunachalees and royalty to the state government in the MoU proposed by the Oil India, Thongdok pointed out that since the two projects were declared as CSR schemes of Oil India Ltd to Arunachal Pradesh, the schemes should be owned by the state government and therefore question of purchase of power does not arise.
Also the royalty of the gas to be utilized for the power plant should be paid to the state, Thongdok said and suggested that the state government would take up the issue with the Union Ministry of Coal & Mines for awarding the project under CSR scheme to Arunachal Pradesh as declared by the then Union Minister (P&NG) and likewise the Oil India also should take up at their own level.