MSPDC to supply power during match hours in some areas only
Source: Hueiyen News Service
Imphal, June 12 2014:
Putting an end to speculation over whether there will be adequate power supply to watch and enjoy the matches of the much-awaited FIFA World Cup � 2014 which kicked off from today at Brazil, Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited (MSPDC) has made special measure to provide power supply to the people by buying additional electricity from other power generating units outside the State.
However, the power supply would be ensured only during the match hours in some parts of the State.
Sources from MSPDC said it will be impossible to provide power supply to the State as a whole during the World Cup even if the company has to purchase power from other power generating units.
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But considering the demand of the people, the company would be providing power supply during the match hours from 9.30 pm to 1.30 am IST so that people in some parts of the State could at least watch the matches.
To do the needful, MSPDC has made all necessary arrangement for buying 20-25 watts of power from outside at higher rate.
For per unit, the company is going to spend a staggering amount of Rs 4.5-5 lakhs.
But the tax to be collected from consumers is only Rs 2.50-3 per unit, the sources said. Meanwhile, the Heavy Fuel Power Plant at Leimakhong, which was installed at an estimated cost of Rs 125.38 crores and inaugurated by the then President of India Dr APJ Abdul Kalam on October 5, 2002 has been reduced useless as three unit machines out of the total six of the power plant are lying non-functional.
Though the power plant has the capacity of generating (6 X 6) 36 megawatts, at present it could generate just half a unit owing to absence of transmission line from Leimakhong to Imphal.
According to reliable reports, the Heavy Fuel Power Plant is most unlikely to be fully operational again even if the power plant is handed over to some private firms as timely maintenance has not been done since its inauguration by the Government.
With the power plant failing to generate even a single unit of power, it would require a major repairing work to make it operational to its full capacity again.
Had the power plant been given proper proper maintenance from time to time, the decision of Manipur State Power Distribution Company Limited to buy power from outside to ensure power supply to the people during the FIFA World Cup by spending huge amount of money could have been avoided.