AGARTALA, Nov 12 ? Tripura Government has requested the Centre to reconsider its decision of cancelling the quota of gas supply for the proposed 280 MW gas-based power project in the state. ?This decision of the Petroleum Ministry is against the interest of the state which would emerge as a major hurdle for our initiative to set up gas-based industries in the state and the North East Power Corporation (NEPCO) would also face monetary loss,? Power Minister Manik Dey told reporters.
Chairman of the Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC) was directed by the Petroleum ministry on October 7 last to cancel the quota of supplying two million cubic metre gas per day for the proposed gas-based power project at Monarchak in West Tripura district, an official sources said. The quota was sanctioned three years back.
The Power Minister in a letter to the Petroleum Minister Manishankar Aiyer said the quota of gas was cancelled at a time when it was awaiting the permission of the cabinet on Economic Affairs for the project only when all other necessary permissions were obtained by NEPCO for seting up the project.
De said NEPCO, an economically feeble organisation had already spent crores of rupees for creating infrastructure for the project and the cancellation of gas quota is major blow to setup gas based industry in the state. The Power Minister requested Aiyer to review the decision so that the power project could be set up in the state.