Kohima: The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) has said the Democratic Alliance of Nagaland (DAN) Government has done nothing to improve the power situation in the state.
In a statement the NPCC gave a lengthy detail on the power scenario in Nagaland and said the DAN Government did not even have money to buy power from Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL), which has caused colossal economic loss due to power shortage.
It said the average power requirement of the state was 42 MW while at peak hours it was 80-110 MW and by the end of the 12th Plan, the demand is expected to shoot up to200 MW and by 2020 it would further rise to 500 MW.
The statement pointed out that Nagaland has the potential to generate 1000 MW of electricity, but lamented that Crores of Rupees were spent on projects to generate more power but lamented that they were abandoned.
It also blamed the state for not having its own power policy and thereby leaving it totally dependent on the NEEPCO, NHPC and NPTC for power requirements. It said Nagaland gets only 17 per cent as power share from the 75 MW Doyang Hydro project out of which 12 per cent being free power while 5 per cent is billed to the state.
The NPCC said that the 24 MW Likhimro hydro project which was leased to a private company, was able to generate only 60.72 MW as on February 2011.
NPCC said the state spent Rs.11.63 crore on purchase of power from Likhimro during 2010-11.
The NPCC statement also said that under the Rajiv Gandhi Grameen Vidyutikaran Yojna (RGGVY), massive fund was sanctioned to Nagaland for rural electricity infrastructure development and 100 per cent household electrification.
It said the state received a total of Rs 209 Crore from 2008 to 2012 for all the districts, but alleged that the quantum of works at the ground level in comparison to works done by contractors were in ‘sharp contrast’.
It further said an unspent amount including interest on Rs 25,18,64,883 was lying unspent as on March 31 last in the Power Department’s account. (UNI)