NEEPCO to Plans Thermal, Hydro Projects in Meghalaya

By Rining Lyngdoh

Shillong, May 14 : The North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) will soon ink a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) with the Meghalaya government for setting up of thermal and hydro electric projects in the State.

Interestingly, though NEEPCO whose headquarters is in Shillong since 1976, but the said projects, however will be its first ventures to be implemented in Meghalaya.

The decision to allow NEEPCO to develop the 500 mega watt coal-based thermal project in Garo Hills and 85 mega watt Mawphu hydro electric project stage-II at Umiew basin in East Khasi Hills was approved by the Cabinet today.

According to an official in NEEPCO, the government-owned company would use the best international technology to make the thermal project environment friendly.

“The Cabinet has approved to hand over the two project to NEEPCO and the government will be soon signing the MoA with the company,” Meghalaya Chief Minister Mukul Sangma told reporters after the Cabinet meeting.

Sangma said the clauses incorporated in the MoA are in conformity with the the State Power Policy and Indian Electricity Act, 2003 giving priority to the local bonafide residents of the State in terms of employment.

“We will implement the clauses of the MoA in letter and spirit and the government will constitute a Project Monitoring Committee to look into the the employment issue as well as to ensure that the projects are implemented on time,” Sangma stated.

The Chief Minister informed that the government will also ask NEEPCO to provide the list of all categories of jobs and qualification for respective jobs so that the government will train local youths in various job-oriented courses accordingly so that by the time the projects are ready for commissioning, the State will have enough qualified local youths.

According to Sangma, NEEPCO has already agreed to adopt at least two Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs) in the State for providing job-oriented courses to local youths of the State, while the erstwhile Meghalaya State Electricity Board now renamed as Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) in collaboration with the Labour Department will adopt two existing ITIs at Shillong and Tura.

Besides, the Cabinet has also decided to implement holograms in all the liquor bottles being sold in the state, to check  revenue leakage.

“With the introduction of holograms, the Excise department will raise an additional revenue of Rs 3.15 crore annually,”  Sangma said.

Sangma also informed that the Cabinet has approved the proposed implementation of the Centrally-funded Integrated Child Protection Scheme in the State adding a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) would be soon signed between the Social Welfare department and Union Ministry of Women and Child Development to implement the scheme.

The funding pattern for the scheme would be 90 per cent by the Centre and 10 per cent by the State government in which the State is expected to receive Rs 29 crore within the current 11th Plan.