Arunachal to terminate MoAs with non-serious power developers: Chowna Mein

OUR CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: The Arunachal Pradesh government is contemplating to terminate the memorandum of agreements (MoAs) with non-serious and non-performing power developers; the assembly was informed on Monday.

Responding to a question by lone Congress member in the assembly during question hour, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein, who also holds the power and hydropower portfolios, informed that the government has already terminated 53 MoAs after serving show cause and intent to terminate notices, due to the failure of the companies to commence implementation in time.

“Out of the total terminated projects, 11 projects have been allotted to interested developers including CPSUs. The remaining 42 projects will be re-allotted to interested developers,” Mein said.

He added that on the request of the state government, the union power ministry indicated 29 projects to be allotted to the CPSUs in the year 2021. On August 12 last year, MoAs for 12 projects were signed and that for another project was signed on December 30 last year, with various CPSUs.

The total installed capacity of 13 projects for which MoAs were signed is 12,723 mw with an investment of Rs 1,35,360 crore, the minister disclosed adding, the state government will get benefit of about Rs 3000 crore from 12 per cent free power and about Rs 250 crore as one per cent local area development fund to the project affected families annually.

“In spite of encompassing various hindrance in obtaining the clearances including land acquisition, forest clearances, four projects out of the 13, have achieved significant progress in terms of clearances and may be ready for foundation stone laying ceremony at any time,” he said.

The NLCT has directed the tendering process of Demwe Lower HEP (1750 mw) which has been stalled for many years. The project has achieved all clearances and is ready to take off construction activities once the process is completed, Mein informed.

The timely achievement of the projects will contribute a major share to the Prime Minister's announcement at COP26 in Glasgow, in achieving 500 GW of installed electricity capacity from non-fossil sources by 2030, he added.

Arunachal Pradesh has about 58,000 mw hydro power potentials which is about 40 per cent of total hydro potential in the country, Mein said.

The minister added that out of the total allotted project, the Panyor Lower (Earlier Ranganadi) project with installed capacity of 405 MW was commissioned in the year 2001. Subsequently, four more projects have been commissioned and now the total generation capacity is 1227 mw.

The 2000 mw Subansiri Lower Hydro Electric Project which was stalled for so many years due to public resistance is now in an advanced stage of commissioning. Two units of the project with installed capacity of 500 mw will be commissioned by March next year and full pledge commission of the project will be completed by March 2026, he said.

 “The project also serves our strategic needs by providing uninterrupted access to electricity to our defence and other border guarding forces establishments,” he said adding, the project involves establishing of 50 power projects having installed capacity of 4440 kw from micro and mini hydropower projects for illuminating un-electrified villages along the international border.

The project is funded under rural infrastructure development fund (RIDF), the minister added.

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