Meghalaya govt working round the clock to set up new power project

By Purbasha Bhattacharjee

In a move to deal with the power crisis, the Meghalaya government is working round the clock to see that a new power project comes in the state.

Meghalaya Power Minister AT Mondal spoke exclusively to Northeast Live and informed that the government is in talks with the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) for setting up new solar plants.

Sharing more details AT Mondal said,”We are working round the clock that a new power project comes. we are working in all the sectors be it hydro, be it thermal or even solar power. That is why the CM’s Solar Mission is also coming very soon. We are in touch with NTPC also to have some solar plants. These ideas are there. Actually we are working overnight to see that a new power project comes up. We are working but these are at very advanced stage.”

However, the Meghalaya government’s plans to resolve the power crisis seems to have received a setback after the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) has requested the Meghalaya government to scrap the MoU for setting up a 500 MW power project in the state.

AT Mondal informed,”We had signed MoU with the NEEPCO for 500 MW power project, but NEEPCO has now been taken over by NTPC. The version given by NEEPCO vis-a-vis NTPC is that from now on NEEPCO will now enter only into green and clean energy projects. That is why they have requested for scrapping of that MoU for setting up a 500 MW thermal power plant.”

Although the Meghalaya Power Minister has claimed that efforts are on to set up a new power project, he claimed that the demand is increasing like anything.

He said,”Actually what is happening is that the demand is going up everyday with increase of more requirements in terms of housing, urbanization, more villages are coming under electrification, new gadgets coming in the market, electric vehicles are also coming. we know that the demand is increasing like anything.”