750 MW project to be completed by 2011: Ramesh

Rs 4,375 crore sanctioned for the Salakati power plant

KOKRAJHAR, May 4: Union Minister of State for Commerce and Power Jairam Ramesh paid a visit to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) project at Salakati in Kokrajhar district and formally launched the civil work. Ramesh was accompanied by Asom Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi, Minister of Transport Chandan Brahma, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) Deputy Chief Kampa Borgoyary and EMs Derhasat Basumatary and Emanuel Mashahary.

In a brief interaction with mediapersons, Jairam Ramesh said the work for the construction of the 750 MW NTPC project at the existing non-operational Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station (BTPS), Salakati, has been launched formally. He said the first 250 MW of power would be commissioned by February 2011 and within May of the same year (2011), the 750 MW NTPC project would be fully operational.

Asom Power Minister Pradyut Bordoloi said the State was facing a shortfall of power due to scarcity of the required water volume. He said the State was depending on hydel power where people cannot expect sufficient power during the dry season. Sufficient and regular power could be expected only from thermal power projects, he said, adding that people will get more power when the NTPC at Salakati power plant is completed.

The NTPC has approved an amount of Rs 4,375 crore for the power plant at Salakati in Kokrajhar district. It is worth mentioning here that Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh had laid the foundation stone of the 750 MW NTPC project at Salakati on January 16, 2006.