There was a time when the Eastern region was not considered ideal location for strategic investments, due to its proximity to Bangladesh.
But times have changed, so much so that today, in Tripura, the Monarchak thermal power station of North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Ltd (NEEPCO) is coming up literally on the Bangladesh border. The boundary wall of the 101-MW gas-based plant, scheduled to be operational beginning July 2013, is barely 500 metres from the fenced zero-line.
First major investment
Once a remote forested village in East Tripura – nearly 85 km from the capital city of Agartala in the West – Monarchak is actually an unsung hero in Tripura’s recent rise as a big ticket investment destination.
Years before ONGC decided to set up the 737-MW power station in the State in 2004-05, NEEPCO responded to Tripura’s SOS for investment by firming up a 500-MW gas-based capacity at Monarchak.
As in end 1990s, this was the largest investment proposal Tripura could have ever visualised. Accordingly, in early 2000 the Centre allocated gas for the project from ONGC’s assets in Tripura.
However, in a controversial decision in end 2004, the lion’s share of the available gas was reallocated to ONGC Tripura Power Company (OTPC), forcing NEEPCO to cut down the project size.
Under commissioning
For Tripura, however, the development augured well. The State is now looking forward to two projects of a combined capacity of 838 MW ready by 2013-14. While the Rs 3,500-crore OTPC is in advanced stage of construction of plant and machinery, the Rs 623-crore NEEPCO is nearing completion of civil work.
According to the EPC contractor BHEL, most of the 28 over-dimensional cargo (ODC) packages are now ready to be shipped from Kolkata to Badarpur (near Karimgunj) in Assam. The heavy tonnage equipment will make an uphill journey on the NH-44 to the project site after the rains. “We are hopeful to bring the main turbine in operation as per the schedule,” a BHEL source said.