Imphal, Jul 28 : Manipur’s 36MW-power project, which bailed the state out during emergency situations, is turning out to be a burden on the government exchequer.
This heavy fuel plant incurs heavy losses whenever it runs.
Inaugurated in October 2005 by the then President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, the power plant at Leimakhong near the army cantonment in Sadar Hills of Senapati district was set up at a cost of Rs 125.38 crore.
N. Mangi Singh of the CPI, called the plant a “useless sleeping lion” and demanded in the Assembly today to dismantle the project.
Approved by the Centre, the state government had implemented the project to augment the supply it received from power corporations. A firm approved by the Centre had constructed the power plant.
However, ever since the project was launched the state government hardly used it on a regular basis because of its huge operation cost.
The plant is run with the help of a fuel called furnace oil. At the time of the commissioning of the project, furnace oil was only Rs 8 per litre.
Now, the price of the fuel has gone up to Rs 35.95 per litre, making it impossible for the government to operate the plant.
Manipur’s requirement of power during the peak hours is 170MW. However, it gets only 80MW during the peak hours.
The government buys power from the National Hydro Power Corporation and the Northeast Electric Power Corporation.
The last time the government turned on the switches at the plant and generated power was during the recently concluded World Cup.
Despite huge loses, the government was compelled to operate it following a public demand for power during the matches.
Manipur power minister Pungzathang Tonsing said while the state paid Rs 2 only per unit to power corporations, power generated by the heavy fuel plant costs Rs 8 per unit.
“It is true that the heavy fuel plant is no longer feasible. But we will not dismantle the plant because it is being used during emergency situations like matriculation examinations or the World Cup. We are keeping it as a standby,” Tonsing said.
The CPI member said whoever formulated the project did so to ruin Manipur and responsibility should be fixed. “What kind of project is this? Fix the responsibility,” Mangi Singh said.
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