SHILLONG, Jan 6 - North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) is looking to be a 2,000 MW public sector power generating company by the end of this year.
According to its new Chairman cum Managing Director, AG West Kharkongor, the public sector company is trying hard to get three projects in the region going, which would add 770 MW and achieve its goal of generating 2,000 MW.
�We are trying to become a public sector power company with a generating capacity of 2,000 MW by the end of this year,� West said after meeting Chief Minister Mukul Sangma here on Thursday.
The NEEPCO CMD met Sangma to accelerate the process of pre-investment clearance of Mawphu Stage II project. He said clearance-related work would be completed by March. Actual work would begin for the project by October.
Several NEEPCO projects have not got clearance from different State Governments of the Northeastern region. Some of the projects were handed over to private power generating companies. However, work on these projects too have not begun.
The NEEPCO CMD said that it is for the respective Governments to assess and see whether it is viable option to hand over power projects to private companies or to a reputed public sector company like NEEPCO.
�The Governments have to judge based on the performance of NEEPCO, if it is viable to hand power projects to NEEPCO or to private companies,� he said.
Meghalaya has been one of the few States which have signed agreements with several private companies to implement projects in the State. Most have been non-starters.
Meanwhile, Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MECL) has paid Rs 325 crore of its outstanding dues to the NEEPCO. Till August last year, MeCL owed NEEPCO Rs 707.76 crore as power dues. NEEPCO thereafter stopped sale of power to the State till the dues were cleared.
