State set to keep tryst with Khuga Dam
Source: The Sangai Express

Imphal, April 30: At long last, there is the possibility of inaugurating the Khuga Multipurpose Project this year, for which the construction work started way back in 1982 June.

However, even if the Prime Minister is expected to come and inaugurate the dam in June, the power house of the project which will have the capacity of generating 9 megawatt of power, is likely to be out of the purview of the inauguration, as completion of the construction work is going to be way behind schedule.

A view of Khuga dam and CM O Ibobi taking a walk to inspect the work progress of the dam

Even as FCI Minister N Biren has been camping at the work site for the last few days to ensure speeding up of the construction work, Chief Minister O Ibobi today visited the work site along with his wife and MLA Landhoni, Power Minister Phungzathang Tonsing, Tribal Development Minister DD Thaisii, PHE Minister TN Haokip, former Minister Francis Ngajokpa and other officials concerned and inspected the progress of the work on the Dam site.

After the inspection, the Chief Minister expressed satisfaction over the progress of the work being taken up by the labourers on a war footing keeping mind the target of completing the project within June.

The IFC Minister and other related officials confidently assured the Chief Minister that the project would be completed within the set June deadline.

Later talking to mediapersons at the dam site, the Chief Minister said efforts are being made to invite Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh to come and inaugurate the dam in last week of May or in first week of June.

The Prime Minister had earlier conveyed his desire to inaugurate the dam as he himself had also laid the foundation stone of the same while he was the Deputy Chairman of he Union Planning Commission, the Chief Minister said.

Since the commencing of the construction work on the dam in 1982, so far, Rs 300 crores has been spend, the Chief Minister disclosed, adding that the total estimated cost of the project is Rs 335.15 crores.

Works on the spill-way and escape channel of the dam are currently being taken up.

Construction work of the redial gate of the spill-way began since yesterday.

With completion on fitting of the redial gate, construction work on the spill-way would also be over.

The electro-mechanical equipments that are to be installed inside the power house of the project have been supplied by the Triveni Engineers 15 years back.

However, as the equipments that have been procured costing around Rs 1.50 crores are incapacitated, the State Government is trying to purchase new equipments.

It is learnt that the State Government has entrusted Penta Flow, a company approved by the Union Ministry of Non-Conventional and Energy Resources, for supplying the required electro-mechanical equipments.

However, as the company is not in a position to supply the equipments before June, the inauguration of the Power House is to be delayed.

According to reliable sources, construction of the Khuga Multipurpose Project could have been completed in March this year.

But as the project cost could not be revised in last fiscal year and the bills of the local contractors could not be cleared, the aggrieved local contractors went on a cease work strike, thus delaying construction work on the project by two months.

Nonetheless, a meeting of the Public Investment Board was conducted and with the approval of the Cabinet, the Ministry has given its nod to the revision of the project cost, said the officer.