Prime Minister to announce power projects in border areas

Itanagar, Jan 20 (UNI) Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, during his proposed visit to Arunachal Pradesh in the later part of this month, would announce a package to tap the potential of the small streams in border areas for generating power.

Official sources said here today that Union ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) joint secretary Gauri Singh informed this to Arunachal Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu during a meeting here yesterday.

A high-level team, led by Ms Singh and including MNRE Director P Saxena, arrived here yesterday after a two-day tour to Tawang district.

The state government had submitted a Rs 85 crore proposal under the Border Village Illumination Programme to the Centre for developing mini hydel power projects of 2-50 KW capacities to illuminate the border areas and far-flung inaccessible villages.

Responding to her query on the feasibility of solar lighting in the border villages, the Chief Minister clarified that due to extreme climatic conditions in those high altitude areas, the use of solar energy would be a total failure.

He added that erection of transmission lines in those areas would be cost-prohibitive and time consuming and suggested availing the services of unemployed educated engineers for the proposed work.

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