Meghalaya govt to scrap another power project

Shillong, Aug 5: Meghalaya Chief Minister Donkupar Roy today said his government would scrap the Myntdu-Leshka Stage II hydro power project if it was found to be above 100 MW capacity.

''Appropriate steps would be taken to ensure that the new Memorandum of Agreements (MoAs) bring maximum benefit to people of the state,'' Dr Roy said.

The Chief Minister made this statement after a meeting with leaders of the Federation of Khasi Jaintia and Garo People's (FKJGP) yesterday.

The Federation assured to back the Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government while seeking fresh MoAs on power projects below 100 MW capacity, provided that the MoAs benefit the people of the state.

Of the six power deals signed between the previous Congress-led government and private power developers, the MPA Cabinet had recently abrogated the MoAs inked with two private power companies - Jaypee Group and Athena Private Limited - to develop power projects worth 1,100 MW.

The Cabinet, however, decided to rewrite the MoAs with four private companies - ETA Star infrastructure Limited, NEEPCO, SEW Energy Limited and Seven Sisters Energy Limited - developing power projects below 100 MW in the interest of the state.

''The new MoAs signed with the companies would have specified clauses on salary and service structure similar to that of Meghalaya State Electricity Board, specially for local youth employed in the power projects,'' Dr Roy said.

''The state government has assured the FKJGP of looking into the deal on Myntdu-Leshka Stage-II project to see if it is of above 100 MW,'' FKJGP chief Emlang Lyttan said.

The FKJGP also asked the state government to allot a few power projects to the MeSEB for execution.

Mr Lyttan reiterated that documents gleaned from the Central Electricity Authority(CEA) showed the project as having an installed capacity of 280 MW.

Earlier, the FKJGP had threatened agitation against the government's decision to partially rescind the power deals.

The MPA Cabinet, on July 24, had abrogated MoAs on three major power projects signed by the previous Congress government.

UNI