NEW DELHI, Oct 22 � Citing an electricity demand assessment study that projected the peak hour demand in Assam to touch an all-time high of 1700 MW by the end of the 12th Plan period, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday said that the State Government has decided to opt for smaller hydropower projects in PPP mode to generate over 250 MW of power.
Making a policy announcement of sort, Gogoi steered clear of the controversy generated over the mega dam projects in neighbouring Arunachal Pradesh, and said the State has embraced a plan for cleaner, safe and smaller hydel power projects in PPP mode to boost its power reserve.
The rationale behind opting smaller hydro power project is the possible problems of displacements and rehabilitation of people from mega dam projects.
�The scheme is to have a cluster of small projects evenly distributed across the State within the next five years to generate more than 250 MW of power.
The Chief Minister in his address at the meeting of the National Development Council convened to approve the 12th Five-Year Plan took a grim view of the State�s power scenario. The own generation of Assam Power Generation Company Limited (APGCL), and the combined share of the Central Sector Generating Stations (CSGS) is around 800 MW.
�We are proposing to ensure availability of additional power in phased manner by commissioning ongoing power projects,� he said.
A specific issue to be addressed is that of the perennial shortage of power in Assam compelling purchase of power to meet the demand-supply gap. However, fluctuating procurement prices causes unnecessary fiscal stress, as the end users are sold power at fixed costs, he pointed out.
He called for a special dispensation for availability of cheap power or separate modalities for cost buffering wherein the additional cost paid for power purchases above a particular rate need to be buffered in terms of financial resources to the State.
Emphasis would be given for setting up of adequate numbers of 33/11 KV sub-stations, reduction of length of 11KV lines including bifurcation of rural and industrial including tea industries feeders and introduction of high voltage distribution systems to strengthen the distribution network during 12th five-year Plan.
