PGCIL, TSECL ink pact to implement World Bank-aided project

Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL) and Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL) today signed a deal for implementation of a World Bank aided project in the state.
The World Bank has granted Rs 1,376 crore for Tripura to create infrastructure in transmission and distribution sector of power in Tripura.
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, state Power minister Manik Dey, PGCIL chairman-cum-managing director R N Nayak and World Bank senior energy analyst Rohit Mittal were present during signing of the MOU.
On the occasion, Sarkar asked PGCIL to implement the project within the stipulated three years time and assured that the state government would provide all help including logistics to implement the power project.

The World Bank has altogether granted Rs 5,111 crore to the 'North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project' for Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Nagaland, which would be operational this year itself.
Under the project, power transmission and distribution and transmission sub-stations would be modernised.

"Over 3,488 km long high power transmission lines will be drawn and good number of transmission sub-stations will be set up in the region to modernise the existing transmission system, which will reduce the transmission loss and supply of power system will be improved," Nayek told reporters.
The PGCIL and World Bank had earlier studied the power transmission scenario in Assam, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, Nagaland and Tripura for implementation of the project.

Mittal said, of the Rs 5,111 crore, 50 per cent was soft loan and the rest would be shared by the Centre and state governments.
Separate agreements would be signed between the PGCIL and the state governments concerned for implementation of the project, he added.