By NE NOW NEWS
Aizawl: The Mizoram government has intensified efforts to achieve power self-sufficiency, with the state currently reviewing plans to expedite the 132 MW Tuivai Hydel Project in Saitual district and advance the corporatisation of the Power and Electricity (P&E) Department, officials said on Friday.
State Power Minister F. Rodingliana on Friday chaired a meeting of officials to review follow-up actions arising from discussions between Union Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar and Chief Minister Lalduhoma during the former’s visit to Mizoram on May 29, they said.
Officials from the Finance, Planning, and P&E departments deliberated on key power sector initiatives, including the proposed Tuivai Hydel Project near the Manipur border and the Tuichang Pumped Storage Project aimed at strengthening the state’s energy sector, they said.
The meeting examined funding arrangements and implementation strategies for the projects as part of the government’s broader push towards energy self-reliance, officials said.
They said that the Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the 132 MW Tuivai Hydel Project has already been completed, and the meeting agreed to earmark funds to commence work on the project.
The meeting also decided that the process of corporatisation of the P&E Department be pursued more vigorously to improve efficiency and facilitate future expansion of the power sector, they said.
P&E Department Engineer-in-Chief Ngursailova Sailo informed the meeting that the department has made significant progress in recent years, particularly in expanding power generation capacity.
He said that employees were not opposed to corporatisation as long as it benefits both the public and the government.
He also said that the department is currently undertaking an unbundling process, under which it will be reorganised into three separate entities covering transmission, distribution, and generation functions, an important step towards corporatisation.
The meeting was attended by Adviser to the Chief Minister (Finance) and MLA TBC Lalvenchhunga and senior officials from the Finance, Planning, and P&E departments.