New Delhi, Oct. 14: President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam will lay the foundation stone of the 84-MW Myntdu Leshka hydel project in the Jaintia Hills on October 25.

The hydel unit, located near the Indo-Bangladesh border, will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 500 crore in five years’ time.

Half the estimated cost would be borne by the North Eastern Council, while the rest would be generated through loans from financial institutions.

“Our aim is to tap the state’s potential and become a major exporter of power. This project will take us one step closer to our dream,” said Meghalaya power minister M.N. Mukhim, who was here to work out the details of the President’s visit.

Meghalaya will be a power-surplus state through the Jaintia Hills unit. At present, there is a deficit of 15 MW with five hydel stations and a mini-hydel unit generating collectively 185 MW of power.

The Meghalaya State Electricity Board, which depends on the sale of peak power outside the state, will benefit from the new project. The project will augment the peak power availability to 262.5 MW, with a guaranteed 80 MW throughout the year during the peak hours.

There will be no inundation or displacement of human habitat in India or Bangladesh due to the Leshka project. The project is expected to check floods in the neighbouring country, while the tail water from the powerhouse will be connected to the river Myntdu.

However, Mukhim stressed the importance of ushering in parallel steps to enhance the availability of power in the state, without waiting for completion of the project. “We have decided to go ahead with some other measures, considering the fact that hydel projects take a long time to see the light of day,” he said.

The proposals to the Centre included installation of transmission lines from Guwahati and the Kopili hydel project, grants for renovation of Umiam project stage-2 and creation of more stations and sub-stations. The possibility of two thermal projects at Byrnihat and Mendipathar are being explored, too.