Shillong, Oct 25:There is a shortage of 300 mw power in the state.
After signing a power deal with NEEPCO on Tuesday, deputy chief minister in-charge power Tynsong said presently the government can generate only 350 mw and the requirement in the state is 650 mw which shows a huge deficit in the demand and supply of power.
A Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) for development of Wah Umiam Hydro Electric Project (50 MW) Stage-I and Wah Umiam Hydro Electric Project (100 MW) Stage-II was signed on Tuesday between the state government, power department and North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) in the city on Tuesday.
Tynsong said power generation is the main problem faced by the state from time to time.
He said the government has been looking for ways and means for the possibility of transformation in the power sector, hence the tie up with the CPSU (Central Public Sector Undertaking) in the form of NEEPCO is very much needed.
According to Tynsong, in previous years, many such memorandums of agreement were signed with private sectors but they were scrapped due to various reasons but he is hopeful that with NEEPCO being a government sector, the signing of agreement will not just be in mere paper but will be translated into reality.
Tynsong also said Meghalaya has the potential for hydro projects which is not less than 3000 MW..
He also expressed his optimism that the government and NEEPCO will sign more agreements in the future.
He added that public hesitancy can be removed when the government associates with the CPSU rather than other investors. He urged the power department and NEEPCO to work jointly in making Meghalaya a surplus producer of power and a state which can be able to export the same in the near future.
He also stressed that the government along with the NEEPCO is leaving no stone unturned in maximising the power generation capacity within the state.
The MOA was signed by DD Shira, Joint Secretary to Power Department and Anil Kumar, Director Personnel, NEEPCO on behalf of the state government and NEEPCO, respectively.
Others who were present included Abdus Saleh, Chairman, Meghalaya State Planning Board, Pravin Bakshi, Commissioner and Secretary, power department, senior officials from the state government and officials from NEEPCO.
