Itanagar, April 24 (PTI): Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal today reviewed issues relating to hydro power development in Arunachal Pradesh with Chief Minister Pema Khandu and his Assam counterpart Sarbananda Sonowal.
Reiterating his stand over the Lower Subansiri Project, Khandu during the meeting, said the project has been stuck for a long time. “Local residents of the state have huge expectations from this project,” an official release quoting Khandu, said.
Khandu and Sonowal assured Goyal that the 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri project will be put on track immediately and there will no further delay.Khandu also raised the issue of fast tracking the Khuppi-Bomdila-Tawang 132 KV transmission line and Bomdila-Kalaktang 132 KV transmission line, the release said.
Goyal directed the CMD of Power Grid Corporation (PGCIL) to start work of these lines in the next few months.
On the issue of providing local employment for the youth of Arunachal Pradesh in hydro power project being implemented by NEEPCO, the Union Minister directed the NEEPCO CMD to visit Arunachal and discuss the employment-related demands of local people with the Chief Minister.
Khandu raised the issue of establishing a Centre of Hydro Power Excellence to build local engineering capabilities for project preparation, to which Goyal agreed to support the project and house it in North East Regional Institute of Science and Technology (NERIST), the release said.
Arunachal Pradesh Assembly Speaker T N Thongdok and Commissioner Power Ashish Kundra accompanied the Chief Minister during the meeting, the release added.
