GUWAHATI, April 3 � The Group of Ministers (GoM) formed to study different aspects of the Lower Subansiri hydro power project and other dam projects in the region is likely to submit its report within a week and then the Cabinet will discuss the same for taking necessary action on the report.
Power Minister and State Government spokesman Pradyut Bordoloi told The Assam Tribune today said that the Group of Ministers already had detailed discussions with the organisations agitating against the Subansiri project, experts in the field, members of the expert committee formed earlier to study the feasibility of the project, members of the civil society, and members of the core technical and design teams of the NHPC on the project.
Bordoloi said that the experts gave some valuable suggestions during the meetings but at the same time he refused to divulge the details at this moment. He said that the GoM is finalising its report and the same would be submitted to the Chief Minister within a week. When asked about the delay in finalising the report, Bordoloi said that having meetings with cross sections of people was a lengthy process. Moreover, the members of the GoM have their own jobs to carry out and sometimes it is difficult �for all of us to get together at the same time to complete the report.�
Bordoloi said that the report of the GoM would be discussed in the Cabinet and then a decision in this regard would be taken.
Meanwhile, the first unit of the Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station, being implemented by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) will be commissioned by the end of December this year, Bordoloi said. The unit was to be commissioned by June this year, but that has been delayed. The first unit will generate 250 MW of power and Assam�s share in the same would be around 130 MW. The power station will be fully commissioned by the end of 2013 and Assam�s share from the project will be 381 MW, said Bordoloi.
The Power Minister further said that the Government of Assam is yet to get coal linkage for the proposed 500 MW thermal power station in Margherita. He said that the detailed project report of the same, to be implemented as joint venture, is being prepared, but the Government�s partner in the project is yet to be finalised.
