Shillong, Sept. 5: After the controversial online lottery deal with M.S. Associates, the Meghalaya government is allegedly working on a loophole-ridden agreement with a Delhi-based company to set up a 4 x 6 MW (heavy fuel) thermal plant at Byrnihat.
Though the Cabinet has yet to clear the relevant files, a Delhi-based company has reportedly been selected to execute the project. There is talk of the People’s Forum of Meghalaya (PFM) having selected the company without adhering to rules.
The utility of the proposed plant is being questioned, too. “We do not know how the state will benefit from this plant if the cost of production is abnormally high,” an official of the Meghalaya State Electricity Board (MeSEB) said.
He alleged that the environmental aspects of the project required major modifications. “The diesel-operated plant will be highly-polluting for the environment.”
Another official of MeSEB said the cost of production in the proposed Rs 90-crore heavy-duty plant would be Rs 4.68 paise per unit, while the power department would be selling power at Rs 2.26 per unit. “Is it worth making up for the shortage of power at such a high price? The industrial units located at Byrnihat will make merry at the state’s cost,” he said.
Sources said the government had ignored technical reports on the feasibility of the project. According to these reports, requirement of power would increase three-folds by the time the plant starts operating.
A heavy-fuel plant at Chandrapur in Assam is on the verge of closure because of huge losses.
Unlike their counterparts in the MeSEB, officials in the power department were reluctant to comment on the proposed project. One of them said it was the government’s prerogative to take a decision on the issue.
The idea of setting up a heavy-fuel plant at Byrnihat was mooted because of the consistent increase in the demand for power. Several industrial units have come up in the area over the past few years.
Power minister Martle Mukhim had informed the Assembly that the shortfall in power was as much as 100 MW and the electricity board was not in a position to cater to all 20 industrial units set up at Byrnihat under the Export Promotion Industries Project.
