SHILLONG, Oct 25: In a significant push for dams in Meghalaya, the state government on Tuesday signed a memorandum of agreement for the 50 MW Wah Umiam Stage-I and 100 MW Wah Umiam Stage-II Hydro Electric Projects with NEEPCO.
Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong, also the Power Minister, said successive governments in the state have been confronted with power shortages. Consequently, the state has not been able to generate even 350 megawatts of power against a requirement of 650 MW.
“There is a power deficit of 50% and the agreement with NEEPCO should translate into a reality (for addressing the issue),” he said.
Tynsong said the state has been receiving free power from the Kopili HEP, located on the Assam-Meghalaya border, since 1984. After the two projects in the Wah Umiam basin are commissioned, the state will receive an overall 13% of free power from all three.
The power received would be worth Rs 65 crore annually, out of which 2-3% would be utilised for local area development apart from other sectors such as education, health and entrepreneurial opportunities around the project areas.
Lamenting the state’s inability in tapping its huge potential for producing hydroelectricity, Tynsong said more such agreements will be signed in the future. He also said more basins are being investigated for possible hydropower projects.
NEEPCO’s Director (Finance), B. Maharana said the corporation’s vast experience in the power sector and resources would enable it to expedite the projects and add to its generation capacity besides boosting the socio-economic situation in the areas.
The corporation’s Director (Personnel), Anil Kumar said NEEPCO was committed to fast-track the projects with the support from and cooperation of the state government.
Govt will scrap pacts, if needed: Power minister
The state government will review the private investors and many of agreements signed with the companies will be scrapped, if needed.
Recalling that few agreements were signed between the government and the private investors in the past years, Power Minister Prestone Tynsong on Tuesday said since taking over, the government has had to either cancel or scrap the pacts as the agreements were made just for the sake of signing.
He said the state government will again review such private investors and scrap agreements, if need arises.
The state government had earlier cancelled the memorandum of agreements (MoAs) of the 270 MW Kynshi Stage-I and the 325 MW Kynshi Stage-II hydroelectric projects signed with Athena Power Private Limited and JayPee Group, respectively.
Tynsong had said the decision was arrived at after a review meeting where both companies expressed their inability to execute the projects.
The MoA, signed with SM Ltd Guwahati for the 15 MW Upper Khri Stage-I hydroelectric project and 10 MW Upper Khri Stage II hydroelectric project, is also likely to be cancelled.