Will examine Margherita thermal power project proposal: Piyush Goyal to Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI: Union Minister of State (I/C) for Power, Coal and New and Renewable Energy Piyush Goyal today assured Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi that his ministry will examine on a priority basis the state government's proposal to set up a 600 MW Super Critical Thermal Project at Margherita.

The Union Minister, who called on the Chief Minister today, told him he would send a team from his ministry and Coal India Limited to take the proposal forward, an official release said.

The project would use the large, untapped reserves of coal available with the North Eastern Coal Fields. At present, only one million metric tonne of coal from Margherita Coalfields has been linked with various projects, it said.

The Union Minister said he would speed up action on the pending proposals of Assam for increasing the supply of gas to the state owned generating stations at Lakwa and Namrup by taking up the matter with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas.

He also said he would look into the proposal for the final clearance of the pending Kopili Hydro Electric Project.

Referring to the Lower Subansiri Hydro Electric Project, the Chief Minister said his government would provide assistance for the project including security of equipment and manpower and also support all efforts of the Centre in implementing the project.

Gogoi further said the state government was keen to set up a solar power project with assistance of the Centre at Amguri in Sivasagar district.

The Chief Minister also requested Goyal to expedite the commissioning of Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project under the NTPC and also to increase Assam's share from the project.