Tripura Govt asks GAIL to continue gas supply

Agartala, Sep 5 (UNI) The Tripura government today asked Gas Authority of India Limited (GAIL) to continue supply of fuel to the gas based power projects in view of the indefinite strike by the oil officers across the country.

The government in a letter requested GAIL to maintain the natural gas supply to the gas based power projects at Baramura and Rokhia in Tripura's west district.

''If the supply of gas to the power projects is discontinued, then the state would face immense power crisis. The state government is yet to recieve any reply to the letter which it has sent to the GAIL authorities,'' State Power Minister Manik Dey said.

If GAIL authorities discontinue supply of natural gas to the two projects, not only would the state face power crisis but the domestic gas supply through pipeline would also be affected seriously, the minister said.

Out of 70 MW of power produced in the state, 62 MW is produced from Baramura and Rokhia power projects.

At present the state demand of power consumption is 150-155 MW.

Besides the Baramura and Rokhia, the Dambur hydel power project is producing 8 MW power. The state is getting 40 MW power from the neighbouring states.

Meanwhile, the oil companies called off their country wide strike over wage hike after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh advised the Department of Public Enterprise to constitute a pay panel to look into the salary related demands of the officers of all Central Public Sector Undertakings.

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