Manipur will be self-sufficient in power within 2 years – Biswajit

Last Updated on October 10, 2023 by SPN Editor

Looking into the pace of development in the power sector, Manipur will be self-sufficient in power within the next two years, as per Power Minister Th Biswajit.

During the State Assembly session on Tuesday, Minister Thongam Biswajit responded to a query raised by opposition MLA K Meghachandra on behalf of MLA K Ranjit. He revealed that the state requires approximately 250 MW of electricity during peak hours.

Although the overall project is yet to be executed, the pre-construction work on the Loktak downstream project, which costs around Rs 63.5389 crore, has been completed.

He also mentioned that the construction of a mini hydroelectric project that can generate 300 megawatts of power is almost done.

With 90 percent of funding from the central government and assistance from the World Bank, the project will make Manipur self-sufficient in power generation once implemented.

Biswajit further said that there will be no load-shedding as the construction of the ring road grid line in Imphal city has been completed. Additionally, the ring road grid line will enable the procurement of electricity of 400kv, 132kv, and 33kv from any state in the country, in addition to power from the eastern grid.

Regarding power supply in the hill districts, the minister reported that new pre-paid meters have been installed in 2.20 lakh houses. Of the total 5.20 lakh consumers in the hill districts, 4.64 lakh have become pre-paid consumers.

Previously, the state faced challenges in sourcing electricity from neighboring states, acquiring it at rates ranging from Rs 10 to Rs 13 per unit. This was due to the limited power generation capacity of only 100 megawatts per day during the rainy season and 70/80 megawatts during the lean season.

However, there is a substantial boost in revenue collection. The state’s outstanding debt has plummeted from Rs 130/140 crore to a mere Rs 65 crore at present. Once the government successfully clears all these debts, the state’s electricity-related issues are poised to see significant alleviation.