Tripura government
has made all out efforts to facilitate bilateral survey team of India and
Bangladesh for transporting power from 726 MW generation capacity combine cycle
gas - based Palatana power plant of South Tripura to neighbouring country.
Talking to media persons,
Power Minister Manik Dey said before announcement of the schedule of 2014
general election in March, Ministry of Power had constituted a seven member
feasibility study team for power selling from Palatana to Bangladesh in persuasion
of Left Front government of Tripura.
The team comprises
experts and top officials of both India and Bangladesh.
The officials were
asked to file a detailed report on the feasibility of transporting power from
Suryamaninagar power grid of Tripura to nearest Bangladesh power grid in
Comilla or Brahmanbaria district of Bangladesh.
“Ministry of Power
recently, sought our view to send the expert team for field level study and
other important aspects to sell power to Bangladesh from Tripura and we made it
clear that the state will extend all possible cooperation to execute the task
at the earliest,” Mr Dey said.
He however, pointed
out that Tripura government is keen to sell power to Bangladesh since inception
of Palatana plant and upcoming Monarchak power project a decade ago considering
its proximity and cooperation extended by Sheikh Hasina government in
Bangladesh for transportation of over dimensional consignments for Palatana.
“During her last
visit to Tripura, Ms Hasina demanded surplus sell- able power from Tripura and
Chief Minister Manik Sarkar responded positively and took up the matter
repeatedly with Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Power,” Mr Dey
maintained.
Transporting power to
nearest Bangladesh grid from Tripura grid is hardly covering a distance of 50-
80 Km, which marginalised the transmission loss and also reduce the cost of
power transportation comparing to selling power from Indian states through
Bongaigoan, he added.
Meantime, Bangladesh
has also taken up the matter with its Indian counterpart to purchase power from
Tripura projects and finally, the Union government has responded and
constituted a committee for feasibility.
“If everything goes
well, by end of the year, 2nd unit of Palatana with generation capacity of 363
MW and 104 MW Monarchak power project will also be operational, which will
generate surplus at least 160- 170 MW power daily at optimum level of
production and we have to sell the power,” Mr Dey said, adding that selling
power to Bangladesh will further strengthen bilateral relation between two
countries and to pay recognition to Bangladesh’s cooperation.
He, however, stated that NEEPCO financed Monarchak power project has
been getting delayed due to non- availability of required gas supply from ONGC
but the way, work is progressing, by next six months, it would start
generation.
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