Former minister and Congress leader K.Therie asserted that non generation of power owing to the Planning Commission terming it as ‘highly uneconomical’ was not the answer to the growing demand for domestic and commercial requirement.
He said, instead, it was more uneconomical if industries shut down and people suffered on account of lack of power. Therie cited the case of Meghalaya where cheap uninterrupted power was available which led industries rush to the state.
He said Thermal Power Station (TPS) was the only way out for Nagaland where through proper planning, a 100 MW TPS would be set up within 18 months. On the cost factor, Therie pointed out that since Nagaland is a welfare state, power could be subsidized.
He recalled that as power minister, he met then union power minister late P.M. Kumarmangalam for setting up a 100 MW TPS with four 25 MW turbines.
Therie said the project was initiated to meet the bare requirements and that the project cost was not an issue. In view of high cost of oil, Therie said the TPS was to be run on coal in view of abundant availability in Nagaland.
He suggested that the DAN government negotiate with the union power minister for allotting 100 MW power to Nagaland, since the government of India was adding 10,000 MW every year, provided transmission lines could carry the load. He said government of India would provide an alternative as Delhi would not let people of Nagaland starve in power sector.
What was needed is political will as justifying failure to provide uninterrupted power was not an answer to the suffering public.
Reacting to chief minister Neiphiu Rio’s recent statement, Therie said he did not know what provoked Rio to talk of rich and poor as everyone knew that he (Rio) “is the richest man”.
Therie asserted that people want bare minimum power so that hospitals and cars can run and small scale industries restored.