State govt may rope in private players for power projects

SHILLONG, Aug 20: The state government is open to the idea of roping in private producers for development of hydroelectric power projects in Meghalaya.
The statement came from Power Minister AT Mondal on Tuesday after a committee of local people on Kynshi Hydro Power project met him and urged him to restart the project for the benefit of the locals.
The joint committee comprising landowners, headmen and KSU members sought to know the government’s mind on the Kynshi Hydro Power project.
Mondal told the group that the government wants to go ahead with the project with absolute certainty and the project will start once the MoU is signed with a competent power producer.
Mondal also said the pending power projects have not been scrapped by the government and some of the MoUs have been scrapped since the implementing agencies had not started the projects despite years of delays.
“We scrapped the MoUs to ensure that new entities, including private producers, take up these projects,” Mondal said, informing that discussions have taken place with NTPC  and NEEPCO to restart the hydro power projects which have been pending for a long time.
He said the feasibility report is also being collected for some hydro power projects to be taken up. The government is getting ready to roll out the stage II of the Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Power project as a pump storage project.
Speaking about the Umiam project, Mondal said the government is following the advisory of IIT Guwahati to not permit heavy vehicles on the Umiam dam and bridge.
As of now, vehicles weighing up to 9 MT are allowed to ply on the dam.
Mondal also said that the government has engaged consultants to explore alternative routes between Shillong and Umiam.