Shillong, July 18: Meghalaya Power Minister A.T. Mondal has called for the inclusion of Sikkim in the North Eastern Regional Power Committee (NERPC), citing its similar geography and infrastructure needs.
Major proposals aimed at strengthening the power sector in the North Eastern Region (NER) were discussed and endorsed at the 29th meeting of the NERPC, held in Guwahati. The meeting was chaired by Mondal and attended by power ministers and senior officials from northeastern states, along with representatives from central power agencies including the CEA, PGCIL, NTPC, NEEPCO, and Grid India.
A key proposal was the inclusion of Sikkim under the NERPC framework. Currently, Sikkim falls under the Eastern Region for power-related schemes. However, Mondal argued that bringing Sikkim under the North Eastern umbrella would allow upcoming power projects in the state to benefit the entire region, fostering more balanced regional development.
Another major issue raised was the need for a financial support scheme similar to the North Eastern Region Power System Improvement Project (NERPSIP). Mondal urged the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) to recommend a similar scheme for all NER states to ease the financial burden of upgrading transmission networks. The CEA agreed in principle and requested Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) from other states.
Concerns were also raised over the Ministry of Power’s policy linking Power System Development Fund (PSDF) assistance to minimum manpower norms at State Load Dispatch Centres (SLDCs). Meghalaya objected to this, citing the emerging nature of SLDCs in the region. In response, the NERPC has written to the Ministry recommending the delinking of manpower requirements from PSDF funding—a move expected to benefit smaller states with limited resources.
The Minister also flagged the impact of stringent reserve requirements mandated by the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC), stating that such norms would restrict power availability to the public in states like Meghalaya. The NERPC agreed to escalate the concern to the Ministry of Power and the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC), seeking a relaxation of reserve norms.
The meeting underscored growing unity among northeastern states in voicing common concerns and seeking region-specific solutions to power sector challenges. The decisions and discussions from the 29th NERPC meeting are expected to shape future policy directions aimed at improving power infrastructure and distribution across the region.
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