NEW DELHI, July 10 ? The power situation in the country in general and the North-east in particular may be grim but the power ministry has drawn up an ambitious programme targeting 41,000 MW of power generation including 1017.92 MW in the north-eastern region (NER) in the next 10 years. The targeted figures were worked out at a two-day national conference on capacity addition during 10th Plan and advance action for 11th Plan organised by the Union Ministry of Power that concluded here yesterday.
?Mission 2012: power for all?, however, does not envisage completion of the mega hydro-power Subansiri project within the next 10 years. The projects that have been identified for capacity addition both in the Central and State sectors in the region are all ongoing ones. Significantly all the projects are either hydro or gas based. The conference itself was a maiden exercise of the power ministry involving all major players in the sector including the State power ministries, State electricity boards, central public sector undertakings, independent power producers among others, where State-wise review of projects were undertaken.
The conference was crucial in the light of the poor performance by way of capacity addition during the Eighth and Ninth Five Year Plan. The primary aim being to ensure that all the agencies involved in the capacity addition programme give their specific commitment to the targets and fulfil them without time and cost overruns. Following the conclusion of the meeting, Union Power Minister, Suresh Prabhu announced cutting of interest rates by the Rural Electrification Corporation (REC) from 11.5 per cent to 10.5 per cent on short term loans. Under the new charter REC has been permitted to finance generation and distribution projects. In addition the corporation would finance State projects earmarked to accelerate generation and supply programme, the minister added. The defaulting States may face the heat as the ministry has sanctioned proposal to deduct outstanding dues at source by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). Under the new system a tripartite agreement would be signed among the CPSU, State Government and RBI.
Meanwhile, the projects that have been identified for capacity addition in the 10th Plan period included 10 MW Karbi Langpi and Lakwa thermal projects in Assam, Byrnihat, Myntdu and Mendipathar in Meghalaya, Leimkhong in Manipur and Baramura, Rokhia in Tripura in the State sector. In the Central sector Kopili Phase-II, Tuirial and Tripura have been targeted for capacity addition.