Imphal, August 23: Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing has demanded certain exemptions in the power tariff the State has to pay to the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) for the power its draws through its own line from the Loktak Hydro Electric Project.

Phungzathang observed that as per the bill prepared by PGCIL which came into effect from April 1 this year, every beneficiary State has to pay according to the shares allocated from the Central Sector Generating Schemes in North East region (NER) but some States have shares allocated to them from generating stations outside NER.

These beneficiaries are paying only the Inter-Regional Transmission Tariff.

As such, they do not pay any charge for using the lines in the region to transmit their shares from outside the region leading to uneven distribution of transmission charge.

The Power Minister was speaking at the 4th NER Power Committee meeting held at Itanagar on August 21.Highlighting that the problem of power shortage in Manipur which reaches upto the order of 40 percent of the demand during winter, Phungzathang demanded that 8 percent firm power allocation should be made for Manipur, that is 750 MW from Tripura Gas Project and another 750 MW from Bongaigaon Extension Project.

He also urged for preferential allocation in NE States first from projects located within the region which, however, has not been the case with ONGC Tripura Power Corporation.

To meet the immediate power requirement of the NER including Manipur, the Power Minister insisted that the NE States should move the Union Govt to allocate power from the Central Thermal Power Projects located of other regions.

He further demanded that 4 percent firm allocation of power be made from the upcoming State owned coal base thermal power plants at Margherita, Assam (480 MW), West Khasi Hills, Noustoin Meghalaya (240 MW), Garo Hills, Nangalbiba Meghalaya (240 MW) and gas base plant Baramura unit-V, Tripura (21 MW).

Informing that the projected power requirement for Manipur will cross 200 MW in two years' time, Phungzathang highlighted the necessity to construct 220 KV double circuit line from Dimapur to Imphal and connection of all State capitals of NER by 220 KV lines.

Comment