Centre convenes meeting on Tripura power project

Agartala, June 3 (UNI) The Union Power and Finance Ministry will convene a high-level meeting on June 6 in New Delhi to solve issues for setting up a 21 Megawatt Thermal power project in Baramura Hill Range.

Official sources here today said the project was halted for long due to 'tough conditions' raised by the Union Finance Ministry even after approval of Power Ministry and financial agreement of the North Eastern Council (NEC) to the proposed project.

A three-member delegation from Tripura, led by the power secretary, would attend the meeting and discuss the importance of the project as well as the state government's stand on the grants and loans pattern.

''The NE states are getting funds at 90:10 ratio grants and loans but in the case of Baramura, the Finance Ministry has demanded 70:30 ratio grants and loans,'' state Power Minister Manik Dey said.

Besides, all the NE states, Union Power Ministry and DoNER opposed the conditions of the Finance Ministry and requested it to approve the project.

The NE MPs had met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh last month and sought his intervention to approve the project.

The 21 MW proposed Baramura thermal power project would supply 10 MW power to Manipur and Mizoram.

UNI