IMPHAL, Dec 11?In a significant development, Manipur and Mizoram have set up a joint power commission to study the problems and grievances being faced by the consumers of the two neighbouring states in the north east region. Reports reaching here said that the joint power commission was set up after a meeting between representatives of the two state governments at the office of the Union Power Secretary R V Sahi at New Delhi on Tuesday.
The headquarter of the joint commission will be based at Mizoram, During the first five years the Union government will bear fifty per cent of the cost of running the Commission while the rest would be forced by the two states, it said adding that after five years, the two States will bear all the expenses.
The joint commission will have its first meeting at Manipur in March next year, said the report adding that the Commission will deliberate on hiking power tariff and look into the problems faced by consumers. Nagaland was previously supposed to be part of the joint power commission but pulled out later. Nagaland has already approached the Centre to set up its own commission, the source said.
The setting up of the joint power commission is expected to go a long way in giving teeth to the functioning of the power sector in the two North Eastern states which have vast potential for generating hydro electricity but have always fallen short of its potential due to lack of proper planning and poor recovery of outstanding power tariffs from the consumers.
Meanwhile, a ministerial team led by Chief Minister D Ibobi left for New Delhi to highlighting the grave financial crisis in Manipur and to extract Central aid. The team is expected to pressurise the Centre to release the fund meant for public administration building. The ministerial team is planning to meet the Union Finance Minister as well as the Deputy Chairman, Planning Commission, Apart from pressuring the Centre to release Rs 13 crore for public administration building out of Rs 70 crore earmarked for the State. The report of the construction of Manipur Bhawan at Shillong and Guwahati is also expected to be discussed with the deputy chairman of the Planning Commission, said adding that the transit house proposed to come up at Sawjonthong in Imphal might also be discussed.