Paucity of funds halted Tripura power project

Agartala, May 11: Centre has conceded that paucity of funds has halted the 500 MW Monarchak Thermal Power Project in West Tripura, undertaken by the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation(NEEPCO) four years ago.

NEEPCO officials here today said the Union Power Ministry opined that the cost of the project was very high and unless the viability gap was closed, it would not be possible to take up the project, adding that the ministry had held discussions with Tripura Government on the matter.

Lok Sabha Member from Tripura Khagen Das took up the issue with Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and informed him that the Monarchak Project had been pending for long, despite the NEEPCO having already spent Rs 50 crore on the project.

Mr Das, however, said the failure of the Centre to complete the project caused serious power crisis in Tripura and other states of NE.

UNI