CCEA approves Rs 6,700 crore for power transmission project in Northeast states

Aiming at “total economic development” of the northeastern states, the Union Cabinet Wednesday approved the revised cost estimate of Rs 6,700 crore for power system improvement project in six states to strengthen intra-state transmission and distribution systems.

The scheme is being implemented through PowerGrid, a public sector undertaking (PSU) under Ministry of Power, in association with six beneficiary the northeastern states - Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland and Tripura, and is targeted to be commissioned by December 2021.

"The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has approved the Revised Cost Estimate (RCE) of North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP) at an estimated cost of Rs 6,700 crore," an official statement said.

The main objective of the project is the government commitment for the total economic development of Northeastern Region and to strengthen the intrastate transmission and distribution infrastructure in the region, it said.

Implementation of this scheme will create a reliable power grid and improve NER states' connectivity to the upcoming load centres, and thus extend the benefits of the grid-connected power to all categories of consumers of beneficiaries in the north-eastern region.

The scheme will also increase the per capita power consumption of these states, and contribute to the total economic development of the region.