IMPHAL: Manipur Power Minister Th Biswajit recently highlighted that Manipur provides the largest power subsidy to consumers in the NorthEast region. He made the statement after the launch of Demand Side Management Measures Implementation under the Capacity Building of Discoms at Hotel Imphal.
Speaking as the chief guest, Biswajit revealed that the state government spends approximately Rs 371 crore annually on purchasing power and offering subsidies to consumers. He emphasized that the Power Department is working diligently to ensure an uninterrupted power supply to the public.
The Minister asked people to use appliances that consume less power to help save energy and protect the environment. He also asked business owners to pay their electricity bills on time, mentioning that some people regularly avoid paying.
In his address, Biswajit reports of power theft at private sports infrastructure, such as astro-turf grounds, allegedly involving collusion with officials. He assured that the government would begin inspecting such power theft cases.
The state’s annual power procurement stands at around 270 megawatts, and the demand for electricity continues to rise. Biswajit mentioned that the government is promoting renewable energy, especially solar and wind power. However, he noted that Manipur’s power generation capacity is still limited, with the Loktak Project contributing only 12% of the state's power needs.
The government is planning to establish mini-hydro projects at 29 sites by digging tunnels, with infrastructure development at 12 of these sites expected to begin soon. Once operational, these projects could generate an additional 120 MW of power for the state, which has a current power requirement of 270 MW.
Furthermore, the government is working on constructing two solar parks to produce 50 MW of power. The event was attended by Power Commissioner Dr. Shailesh Kumar Chourasia, MANIREDA Director N Praveen Singh, and Managing Director of MSPDCL H Shantikumar, and was organized by MSPDCL and Green Tree Global Firm.
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