NEW DELHI, Nov 21 - The northeastern states may be clamouring for power, but the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) has said that during the current year (April to October), the peak power shortage in the North Eastern Region (NER) has reduced to 0.5 per cent from 8.4 per cent during the corresponding period last year.
In reply to a question by Santiuse Kujur, Minister of State for Power, Coal, New and Renewable Energy and Mines, Piyush Goyal claimed that energy shortage during the current year has reduced to 3.5 per cent from 6.9 per cent during the corresponding period last year.
Electricity is a concurrent subject. Supply and distribution of electricity to various consumers, including power-cuts in a State, is within the purview of the respective State Government and State Power Utility. The Central Government supplements the efforts of the State Governments by establishing power plants in the Central sector only through Central Power Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) for the purpose of power generation and allocating power from there to them.
The Central Government has given special consideration to power generation in North Eastern States. In this regard, according to information furnished by North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd. (NEEPCO), two gas-based power stations and one hydro power project of NEEPCO located in the North Eastern States, were given special consideration by the Central Government.
In case of gas based power stations, the concession on the gas price to the tune of 40 per cent has been extended under Administered Price Mechanism (APM) to the 291MW Assam Gas Based Power Plant (AGBP) in Assam and 135 MW Agartala Gas Turbine Combine Cycle Power Plant (AGTCCP) in the State of Tripura. The gas price is charged at 60 per cent of market price up to the quantity of 1 Million Metric Standard Cubic Meters Per Day (MMSCMD) for AGBP and 0.75 MMSCMD for AGTCCP, thereby reducing the cost of power for North Eastern States, said Goyal.
Six thermal power units/modules aggregating to 1103.1 MW have been commissioned during the 12th Plan period in the North-Eastern States. Further, five thermal units aggregating to 625.5 MW are currently under construction in the North-Eastern States, he said.
Currently, North Eastern Region is well connected with the national grid and the states of NER can purchase power from the market, including through power exchanges as per guidelines as sufficient surplus power is available in the market, said the Minister.
NTPC has set up the Bongaigaon Thermal Power Plant in Assam for benefit of all the states of NER. However, some of the States of NER has requested for de-allocation of power from this power plant, Goyal said.
