Meghalaya wants investment in power

Shillong, May 30 (UNI) Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang has highlighted the issues concerning the power sector in Meghalaya.

Mr Lapang, who attended the Chief Minister's conference at Delhi on Monday said, ''There has been no investment in power generation in Meghalaya for more than two decades.'' ''Our capacity addition in the hydel sector is projected at 586 MW during the 11th plan, of which 87 MW is to be achieved by 2008 when the Leshka project will be commissioned,'' he said.

''There are opportunities for complete basin development through a series of projects such at Umngot stage-I project of 260 MW, Umngi Stage-I of 54 MW, Myntdu Leshka Stage-II of 60 MW, Umiam Umtru Stage-V of 30 MW and Riangdo Hydro electric Project of 5 MW,'' Mr Lapang said.

For implementation of the above five new projects of around 400 MW capacity, an investment of around Rs 2,400 crore will be required in the 11th plan.

''We have requested the Centre to provide thirty per cent equity for these projects which comes to Rs 800 crore. The balance 70 per cent loan is proposed to be raised by the Board from financial institutions,'' he said.

He said coal based thermal project could be a viable option for the state, as the state is endowed with coal reserves. ''The state government will facilitate investment from both the government and the private sector for capacity addition of around 2,000 MW in the 11th plan,'' Mr Lapang said.

The projects may also be taken up under joint venture companies or through Public-Private Partnerships(PPP), he said.

The Centre was requested to review the transmission or wheeling charges charged by power grid corporation (PGCIL) in the northeastern region.

PGCIL is charging 35 paise per unit in the NE, whereas elsewhere in the country, the wheeling charges are 12 to 15 paise per unit, he said.

He said that the state government had sent detailed project reports for electifying 1,574 unelectrified and 372 de-electrified villages at an estimated cost of Rs 286.83 crore under Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidutikaran Yojana.

''So far three DPRs have been sanctioned and a request for four DPRs, at an estimated cost of Rs 225.12 crores, has been presented to the Centre,'' he added.

UNI