GUWAHATI, May 8 - Seeking to reverse the sluggish growth of the COVID-19-hit State�s economy, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal made an open invitation to companies to set up their business ventures in Assam as the State has a power surplus of 350 MW to cater to their electricity need.
Chairing a meeting to assess the impact of COVID-19 on Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL), Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL) and Assam Electricity Grid Corporation Limited (AEGCL) at his office in Janata Bhawan today, Sonowal said that though the State has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, the unrelenting endeavour of the government�s power companies has yielded into a power surplus of 350 MW (mega watt). The Chief Minister, therefore, invited companies to invest in Assam and set up their units to explore the business-friendly ambience including availability of energy.
Chief Minister Sonowal also hailed the role of every personnel of power department and the power companies in maintaining their high standard of professionalism and providing uninterrupted supply to the State.
Sonowal took stock of the progress of ongoing power projects like 120 MW Lower Kopili Hydro Electric Project, 70 MW Amguri Solar Power Project, 20 MW Namrup Solar Power Project, 100 MW Namrup Replacement Power Project. He also took stock of the issues coming in the way in expeditious completion of the projects and asked the functionaries concerned to redress them. He also asked APGCL to start work on the 24 MW Borpani Middle-II SHEP, 22.5 MW Borpani Middle-I and 100 MW Bilasipara Solar Power Project at the earliest.
Taking stock of the AEGCL, Sonowal asked the company to strengthen its fundamentals to augment the load handling capacity. He also reviewed the ongoing projects of AEGCL which primarily consist of setting up of new sub stations and augmenting the existing sub-stations along with network of grid. He also asked APDCL to ensure energy security and cater to the retail electricity demand of around 58.78 lakh consumers of Assam.
Sonowal also asked the companies to sustain their professionalism and ensure uninterrupted power supply to all the consumers during the forthcoming Monsoon season also when the different parts of the State will be reeling under flood. He also asked the top functionaries of the companies to fill up the existing vacancies and create more vacancies wherever possible to make the companies consumer friendly more than ever before.
