SHILLONG: Work on the 85-MW Stage II Mawphu hydel power project may start in October.
NEEPCO chairman and managing director A.G West Kharkongor, who along with a company official met Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday, told reporters, “It was a courtesy visit because we are working on the Mawphu project Stage II. It will get the pre-investigation clearance in March and we will get the DC clearance by September. If everything goes well we will start the work by October or so,” he added.
Kharkongor said NEEPCO will commission three projects in 2017 – 600MW and 110MW in Arunachal Pradesh and 60MW in Mizoram – and “if things go smoothly, we are going to be a 2000-MW company by the end of this year”.
Commenting on the power scenario in the State, Kharkongor said, “It (the State Government) has already paid Rs 325 crore last month, so the balance is another Rs 300 crore, but there was no discussion on the outstanding dues. We have not discussed anything and it will get back to us on the proposal.”
On whether NEEPCO will continue supplying power to the State unhindered, the CMD said, “If it clears the monthly dues, we will continue with the supply of power. The State has its own fund constraint. We understand that and we cannot starve the State but we are definitely going to see how they pay the dues.”
He stated that the corporation will observe the situation from time to time.
On its role in providing power to the rest of the North East, he said NEEPCO will keep on providing power to the whole region as it is a central sector company.
