Shillong,July 3: The state government will bring back the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with M/s Athena Private Limited for the Kynshi Hydro Power Project stage-I.
Power Minister AT Mondal told reporters on Monday that a proposal to reinstate the MoU will be placed before the cabinet soon.
The project was initially allotted to Athena Pvt Ltd on a Run-of-the-River (RoR) basis. However, the company later proposed a hybrid model incorporating Pump Storage Project (PSP) technology. Due to the absence of PSP provisions in the original MoU and the state’s power policy, the cabinet decided to scrap the old MoU.
With the new power policy incorporating PSP, Athena Pvt Ltd has opted to revert to the original RoR proposal without PSP, citing feasibility with new technology.
“With the coming up of the new technology, Athena said RoR is also feasible. So they want to go for the same old proposal of RoR minus the PSP. As we have scrapped this MoU in the cabinet, we have to take it to the cabinet to again reinstate the old MoU. This is the present status,” Mondal said.
The state government will get 12% free power upon project implementation, and 1% will be allocated for local area development.
Earlier on Thursday, the Joint Committee of Local People on Kynshi Hydro Power Project (JCLPKHPP) met Mondal and demanded that the state government expedite the implementation of the Kynshi project.
A delegation of the committee also submitted a memorandum to him urging the government not to delay the project further.
Chairman of the JCLPKHPP, Roshem Myrthong, stated that the committee had met on July 1 at New Majai village to discuss the setbacks and non-progressive work related to the project’s construction..
