By Our Reporter
SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) has brushed aside claims made by the GNLA of poor power connectivity in the interior areas of Garo Hills, stating that many projects have been taken up to improve power supply in Garo Hills.
“A number of initiatives have been taken for improvement of Power supply in the whole State and the improvement of power supply in Garo Hills has been a serious concern for the State Government,” MeECL Director (Distribution), CD Saio said.
The GNLA had abducted two MeECL engineers – Apus Pohthmi and Bonifast Majaw – last week and given a seven-day deadline for a ‘convincing’ answer from the Government regarding the poor power connectivity in the interior reaches of Garo Hills.
Saio said various development projects have been taken up by the government to improve the power scenario in Garo Hills, which comprises of construction of 132 KV lines and substations, generation project in Ganol, Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojana (RGGVY) project for village electrification and providing power supply to rural BPL households, distribution projects besides others.
He also informed that various projects like the 132 KV Nangalbibra-Agia Line and 132 KV Rongkhon-Ampati Line, augmentation of Rongkhon S/S from 35 MVA to 50 MVA, new Ampati (2 x 25MVA) Substation and Mendipathar (2 x 20 MVA) Substation are under construction.
Besides, new 33KV lines, 5 new 33/11KV, 1.6 MVA sub stations, 11 KV lines, LT lines and Distribution Sub Station are being constructed in many villages of Garo Hills but their commissioning will be possible after creation of 33 KV infrastructures which includes construction of 33 KV lines and 33 KV Sub Stations under the present scheme, he added.
“Hence, certain completed works including provision of power supply to BPL rural households could not be energized at present,” the MeECL Director stated adding that efforts are being taken to energize these villages and the BPL rural households at the earliest.
Meanwhile, the tendering process of the first ever Generation project in Garo Hills at Ganol Stage I with 3 x 7.5 MW is in the advance stage, he said, adding that various distribution projects which included system Improvement under APDRP (10th Plan) was taken up at an estimated cost of Rs. 42.98 crore for construction of 33 KV, 11 KV and LT lines and 33/11 KV substations and Distribution substations all over the Garo Hills.
It may be reminded that the DPR of RGGVY Project in all the districts of Meghalaya was submitted to REC LTD, New Delhi in November 2005. However, the project of Jaintia Hills, Ri-Bhoi and East Khasi Hills were only cleared.
The Letter of award for the RGGVY projects in Jaintia Hills was issued on July 16, 2007, Ri-Bhoi on September 28, 2007 and of East Khasi Hills on June 9, 2008.
Meanwhile, the sanction of the RGGVY projects in West Khasi Hills, South Garo Hills, West Garo Hills and East Garo Hills districts were received on 2008 and the Letters of award for the same in these districts were issued only on 2010. The RGGVY projects are expected to be completed by December 2012.
“The delay in the award of these projects is due to the poor response to the tenders due to which dates of submission of tenders had to be extended in several cases and adding to this, several packages had to be re-tendered as the participants in the tenders did not qualify the first time,” the MeECL Director stated.
It was also mentioned that installation of IT-based infrastructure will be taken up in 3 (three) towns i.e. Tura, Williamnagar and Resubelpara and the work is expected to be completed by March 2013.
Meanwhile, transformer Repairing Workshop is under construction in Dakopgre, West Garo Hills. The workshop building is complete and the equipments will be installed shortly, Saio added.