Shillong, May 15: Meghalaya Power Minister and Chairman of the North Eastern Regional Power Committee (NERPC), AT Mondol, on Thursday announced that Sikkim has agreed to become a part of the North Eastern Regional Power Committee, marking a significant development in regional energy cooperation.
Mondol recalled that although Sikkim has historically been a constituent of the Eastern Regional Power Committee (ERPC), the demand for its inclusion in the NERPC has been ongoing for over a decade. “Sikkim is already a constituent member of the North Eastern Council (NEC) and shares all development funds with the North Eastern States. For overall regional development and optimal resource utilisation, it is only logical that Sikkim be integrated into the NERPC framework,” he said.
The matter was first formally taken up during the 4th NERPC meeting held on August 20–21, 2007, where a resolution was adopted to approach the Ministry of Power for Sikkim’s inclusion in the committee and allocation of its power project shares to other North Eastern States. The issue resurfaced during the 9th NERPC meeting in August 2010, where members reiterated the need for Sikkim’s inclusion given its role in the NEC and the central funds allocated to it for power development.
Mondol said the Ministry of Power has now been urged to issue necessary directions to amend the 2005 resolution that constituted the existing ERPC and NERPC frameworks. With Sikkim’s assent, the committee expects improved coordination and equitable power distribution among the North Eastern States.