NEW DELHI, May 22 – Assam may be reeling under massive power shortages, but Union Power Minister is still sitting on the proposals to grant long-term coal linkages to Chandrapur and Margherita thermal power plants. Applications seeking long-term coal linkage and Letter of Assurance (LoA) for setting up 60 MW thermal power project at Chandrapur and 500 MW Margherita project were received by the Ministry of Coal and sent to Ministry of Power for recommendations.

Guwahati: Assam is set to undertake the second phase of power sector reforms, which is expected to see major initiatives to boost generation and greater efforts for privatisation.

“In 2005 we started the first phase of reforms which saw restructuring of the then power behemoth Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB).” “Now we are poised to undertake the second phase of the reforms where focus would on increasing generation and improving transmission and distribution,” Minister for Power, Commerce and Industries Pradyut Bordoloi said.

GUWAHATI, May 10 – There was no improvement in the power scenario of the State for the eighth consecutive day today. Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today reviewed the scene and directed the Power Department to take immediate steps for improving the dismal power situation. The State today had a shortfall of around 440 MW in power supply during the peak load hours. Its off-peak load shortfall today was around 255 MW. The Karbi Langpi Hydel Project generated 40 MW of power during the daytime and evening today, said Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) sources.

Power distribution network in the State collapsed today following tripping of the 220 KV Siliguri-Bongaigaon grid/circuit of the Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd (PGCIL). The 220 KV grid tripped because of the overloading it was subjected to owing to the non-restoration of the two 400 KV towers of the PGCIL at Binaguri in West Bengal.

Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) sources said that the tripping of the grid/circuit resulted in the total collapse of the NE region grid of the PGCIL.

NEW DELHI, May 7 – UNICEF has reported arsenic contamination in ground water in 18 districts of Assam and fluoride contamination in five districts.
Based on information from Chief Engineer (PHE) of the State Government, a UNICEF study has found arsenic and fluoride contamination, Minister of State for Water Resources, Vincent H Pala said in a Rajya Sabha reply to a question by Naznin Faruque.

NEW DELHI, March 14 – It’s official. The ambitious national railway projects in North-east are likely to suffer further delays with Railway Minister Dinesh Trivedi, ruing a slash in budgetary support, confirmed that the national projects may get delayed for want of adequate funding. Presenting his maiden Budget on Wednesday, the Rail Minister lamented that its projected requirement of Rs 45,000 crore has been slashed to Rs 24,000 crore.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi met Union Minister for Railways Dinesh Trivedi at Rail Bhawan here today and urged him to incorporate a slew of proposals in the forthcoming Railway Budget 2012-13, an official release said. Chief Minister Gogoi while stressing the need for 'good connectivity from Assam, so critical for the people of the State and also other North Eastern States' urged him to declare the North east Frontier Railway as a dedicated railway zone exclusively for the North Eastern States and announce the same in this year's Railway Budget.

NEW DELHI, Dec 12 – Even as the agitation against the Subansiri Hydroelectric Project gathers momentum, Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) of two hydro power projects in Assam were turned down by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) albeit on non-environmental ground.
Two Detailed Project Reports are currently under examination in CEA. However, the DPRs of 150 MW Lower Kopili and 60 MW Karbi Langpi were returned by CEA due to inadequate geological investigation and non-up grade of hydrology in case of Lower Kopili Hydroelectric Project.

DIMAPUR: The Nagaland Power Department has set two objectives to be achieved by the end of the 12th five year plan: to meet the projected power requirement of 400 MW and achieve the national target of 1,000 units per capita consumption.

However, with the present power position of the state standing at a mere 128.72 MW and anticipated addition of another 101 MW during the 12th Plan, the challenge of filling the huge gap of nearly 200 MW between requirement and availability will prove to be a daunting one.

Dhubri, Oct. 12: The Jogighopa unit of Ashok Paper Mill is likely to reopen in April 2012 after nearly three decades.
Many organisations, including AASU and AKRSU, have been demanding the reopening of the unit, which had stopped operation in 1983.
AASU, AKRSU and various other organisations had also taken out a procession August 26 in support of their demand.
The demand for reopening of the paper mill was included in the 1985 Assam Accord.