SHILLONG: Though the Chief Minister Conrad Sangma recently blamed non-functional units of Palatana power project in Tripura and Kopili project in Assam for the shortage of power in Meghalaya, the prolonged delay in the implementation of pending power projects in the state appears to be the main cause.
Sources said on Sunday that even before the state started availing its share of power from Palatana and Kopili projects, the state governments under various political combinations had signed agreements with private power companies to generate electricity.
According to an official data, the scrapping of some power projects since 2007 due to faulty agreements and awarding the work to the same companies with modified memorandum of agreement have resulted in undue delay in the execution of the projects.
The state government has projected 15 power projects but the implementation is slow resulting in prolonged power cuts coupled with NEEPCO regulating power supply as the state failed to pay the pending dues of over Rs 625 crore. There are separate dues for NTPC and Powergrid among others.
Status of state projects
The agreement for 270 MW Kynshi stage I hydro- electric project was initially signed on December 11, 2007 with Athena Kynshi Power Pvt Ltd, New Delhi but the agreement was amended on February 11,2010. The status is that only the Detailed Project Report (DPR) is ready.
As far as Rangmaw hydel project of 65 MW handed over to Sew Energy Ltd, Hyderabad is concerned, the government has now found it not feasible after the signing of agreement on April 9, 2010. The project is under cancellation.
An official source said that after the submission of DPR, the government realised that it is not feasible.
The Kynshi stage II hydel project of 325 MW has already been kept in abeyance due to uranium deposits in the area. The agreement for the project was initially signed on December 11, 2007 only to be amended on May 6, 2010.
The NEEPCO has completed the DPR for 85 MW Mawphu hydel project for which the agreement was signed on April 20, 2012.
The Upper Khri stage I hydel project for 15 MW and Upper Khri stage II project for 10 MW were entrusted to SM Energenco Ltd, Guwahati and their DPRs are under scrutiny. The agreement for these two projects were signed on May 9, 2014.
The agreement for Nongsummer small hydel project for 18 MW being executed by Varks- Avco JV Hyderabad was signed on March 19, 2013 and the DPR has been completed.
While the 50 KW Umlun micro hydel project undertaken by Anderson tea estate has been completed, the techno economic clearance is being accorded by state government for the Umran small hydel project of 10 MW executed by JMD, Aqua Power Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.
As far as the thermal power projects are concerned, an official cited ban on coal mining for the delay.
While the 240 MW thermal power project at Nangalbibra, South Garo Hills will be executed by Dharampal Satyapal Ltd, NEEPCO will develop 500 MW thermal project at Darugiri, East Garo Hills. The projects were signed in 2010 and 2011 respectively.
The pending new and renewable energy projects allotted to private developer Renew Joule Pvt Ltd, Shillong are located in Byrnihat (24 MW) Ampati (48 MW) and Mendipathar (48 MW).
