How NEEPCO is turning into a hope for dark circles in North-East

North-East Power Map

THE government-run power company, NEEPCO has become a new hope for the North-East India, at least in the context of keeping the region out of darkness. The North-East region, comprising eight states, is India’s one of the most backward regions where there has been least industrial developments. After all, the NEEPCO, or North Eastern Electric Power Corporation, can bring…
more power to the region, quite literally. As Union power minister Jyotiraditya M Scindia said while chairing a consultative committee meet last week, the NEEPCO provided 56.6 per cent of the total energy to the region during FY 2012-13. The minister also added that NEEPCO is in the process of adding 922 MW during the 12th plan period, which will enhance the installed capacity from 1130 to 2052 MW.
The members of the Parliamentary panel also said that there is abundance of coal and gas in the region which should be harnessed by NEEPCO to generate more power, giving it an encouragement to diversify and hold the leadership position both in coal and hydro-based power generation of the North-East. Minister Scindia assured one of the members that NEEPCO would take up power projects in the state of Sikkim as well.
NEEPCO is also planning to generate at least 1,500 MW power from non-conventional sources of energy such as solar and wind in the next five years.
For the speedy execution of projects, the NEEPCO is using modern project management software called “Primavara” for monitoring, a statement issued by the ministry of power said.
The NEEPCO received the “Miniratna” status in April this year.
So far as the power scenario of the North-East is concerned, 19 power projects, including 12 hydel power projects of 3,918 MW capacity and four thermal power projects with an installed capacity of 5,595 MW, are now at various stages of commissioning and planning in the NE region by various agencies including the NEEPCO.