The government of Arunachal Pradesh has urged the Center under the Atma Nirbhar Bharat Abhiyan to “special consideration” for the power sector of the state. In implementing system upgrades for power generation , transmission and distribution, Deputy Chief Minister Chowna Mein sought consideration, saying heavy rains, landslides and snowfall in the hilly state damage to power infrastructure.
Mein, who also holds the power portfolio, spoke at a video conference with Union Ministry of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New and Renewable Energy, R K Singh, and all state and union ministers of power.
He said a significant portion of the state’s existing power infrastructure is very old except those recently made under the Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Gram Jyoti Yojana (DDUGJY) and Saubhagya schemes, an official communique said.
Mein has suggested the need for adequate financial support to replace and improve existing transmission lines, substations, transformers and other infrastructures, he said.
He also sought financial support from the Center to enable the state to reduce aggregate technological and business losses.
Mein said the remaining works will probably be completed by December under the Integrated Power Development System and the DDUGJY schemes.
While accepting the changes introduced in the 2003 Electricity Act, Mein said the proposed amendment should not strip away the state’s rights as the matter relates to the list at the same time, it said.
He spoke about the comprehensive plan of the Arunachal Pradesh government to build 135 small-scale hydropower projects with a total capacity of 356 MW across 25 districts, whose design paper was submitted to the Union ministry, the communique said.
If completed, the projects could reduce the state’s peak demand for electricity, Mein said.
He called for incentives for grid-connected rooftop solar projects to be provided to government buildings in the northeast.
Mein urged that India Limited’s Power Grid Corporation (PGCIL) be pulled up to complete the Comprehensive Transmission Scheme in the state that was begun in 2015 and is still incomplete.
The state has harnessed hydropower from the Ranganadi project (405 MW), Pare project (110 MW), Kameng (300 MW), Dikshi (24 MW), and 128 small hydropower projects with a total capacity of 63.4 MW, he said.
The deputy chief minister said the project 2000 MW Subansiri is at an advanced stage and is scheduled for completion by 2023.
In the 2880 MW Dibang multi-purpose project, he said the state government is making every effort to address land acquisition problems.
Mein said that notices were given to non-performing power developers undertaking 74 projects whilst 27 projects were completed.
