From Our Special Correspondent
New Delhi: Meghalaya Power Minister, A T Mondal has highlighted massive power deficit of Meghalaya and has sought funding from the centre for the upcoming power projects which are expected to tide over the crisis and even generate surplus power.
Speaking at the Power Minister’s conference here, Mondal said that, as prevailing in the rest of the country, Meghalaya is also facing a deficit in the availability of power.
The State is wholly dependent on hydro power and even during ideal conditions, hardly 50% of its demand could be met though the State’s existing installed capacity is of 272 MW, and Central Sector share of around 210 MW.
The present unrestricted power demand of the State is about 628 MW, Mondal said.
Due to the shortage of power, the state utility is compelled to indulge in heavy purchase from the grid subjecting its customers through intervals of discomfort as load shedding.
To tide over the crisis the State has targeted to achieve a capacity addition of 106 MW during the 12th Plan Period by completion of the spillover projects from the 11thPlan.
The on- going Survey & Investigation of HE projects having a total capacity of 1030 MW is also targeted to be completed during the 12th Plan period, he said.
Due to fund constraints, and in order to exploit the hydro potential of the State, the Government has initiated the process of capacity addition through PPP and JV Sector, the state power minister said.
MOUs with the different developers for a total capacity of 1090 MW from hydro electric projects (HEP) and 1040 MW from Thermal projects have been signed during the 11th Plan period.
Meghalaya is also going ahead in huge capacity addition.
The state utility will be requiring huge transmission network to distribute power to state grid so as to evacuate additional power from the state grid to national grid, Mondal said.
“I urge upon the Planning Commission and Ministry of Power to fund us adequately so that the state utility is in a position to have proper transmission network well before this projects becomes operational,” he added.
In addition Meghalaya is also gearing up to achieve 100% village and household electrification through RGGVY scheme during the current financial year.
Out of a total of 5782 villages in the State (2001 census), 4865 villages (84%) have been electrified and the balance 917 villages will spill over to the 12th Plan period, he added.
Mondal however, wanted one time full waver instead of the State governments being asked to take half the debt load from the companies with the central government offering to pay them subsidies to help retire a quarter of hat amount over time.
The Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Dr Montek Singh Aluwalhia had mentioned the outstanding debts to be restructured with at least half of it to be met by the state funding and half to be financed by Financial institutions.
“I am having the apprehension that it will not be possible for the state to waive the debt as it will be additional financial burden and financial institution may not be in a position to support the utilities unless state govt. assures full guaranty,” he said.
The initiative taken be the MOP to take out few new approach like ‘Integrated Rating Methodology for state distribution utilities’ and ‘National Electricity fund’ but effort should be taken so that these also suits the pattern as followed as per the case of special category states, Mondal said.
The power sector in the country is going through difficult times, especially due to problems of coal linkage and the slow progress in harnessing the substantial hydro potential in the North Eastern States, Mondal said.
He also urged the Planning Commission and Ministry of Power to come up with a comprehensive plan for the development of the power sector in the North East, which is an urgent cause and will contribute immensely to the nation’s power demand in general, and address the North East in particular.