Imphal, January 12 2010: Power ministers of three states of Nagaland, Manipur and Tripura Tuesday attending the last day of the two-day long 8th North east Regional Power Committee meeting here in Imphal called for enhancement of fund flow for development of Hydro Power Generation in the region considering for economic upliftment of the region.

The region has enough power generation capacity with the hydro potential of the region is about 63,257 MW which is about 70% of the total potential of the country but only a small fraction of it is harnessing, the power ministers revealed.

Manipur power minister, Phungzathang Tonsing expressed dissatisfaction with the power scenario in the region stating that it is far below satisfactory.

The present effective capacity of the region is about 2108 MW, he said adding that out of this, 1268 is from hydro generation and 840 MW from thermal and gas generations.

The projected peak demand in this current month January is about 1818.1 MW, but the projected availability is only 1413.2 MW leaving a deficit of 22.27% in spite of availability of rich hydro and thermal potential.

Though the hydro potential of the region is about 63,257 MW which is about 70% of the total potential of the country, the region harnessed only a small fraction of it.

Major generation and transmission scheme of this region are implemented by the public sector units of the government of India.

"I suggest this forum (meeting) may request the Centre to enhance the fund flow for development of hydro power generation on considering of economic upliftment of this poor industry region and reducing power crisis of the country," Manipur power minister urged.

Nagaland power minister, DY Sema Monday said that because of power problem compounded with bad law order, investors of the Indian mainland refused to invest in infrastructure development in the north eastern region.

Citing that people of the north eastern region are very hostile, investors of the country's mainland refused to invest here but contradict to their observation, "our people hospitality is very high.

They should know this and invest in the development of infrastructures if they wanted to develop the region, Sema demanded.

Mainland Indian should know that in the north east, people too settle.

It's not a land of animal.

They also wanted to develop.

So, they should invest so that there could uniform development.

Refusal on the part of the investors to enter in the region has greatly affected in the economy as no industries could be taken up.

It can be said that there is any industry worth to mention in the region.

The region has plenty of natural resources in respect of water, solar and minerals but they remain waste which in turn resulted in lacking behind other states of the Indian mainland in development.

No works to extract these resources could be taken up by the state governments as they lack funds, he added.

Tripura power minister, Manik Dey said that one of the major issues of concern to all the states of the region is the limitation of transmission network in the region.

It seriously impedes transmission of power from state to the grid and from grid to the state and in matter of inter-state transmission.

He also expressed hope that the meeting held in Imphal will help in boosting up the power transmission system and work coordinately among the states of the region as well as with the Power Grid Corporation of India and North Eastern Power Grid Corporation.

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