Shillong, April 11: Meghalaya Power Minister Metbah Lyngdoh has called for urgent policy reforms and greater central support to address rising costs and structural challenges in the Northeast’s power sector.
Speaking at the 31st meeting of the North Eastern Regional Power Committee (NERPC) in Aizawl recently, Lyngdoh highlighted that while the region holds immense hydropower potential, high project costs, infrastructure gaps, and policy constraints continue to hinder growth.
He pointed out that the Northeast’s difficult terrain, high forest cover, and connectivity issues have historically slowed infrastructure development, but stressed that the power sector can now drive the region’s economic transformation.
“CEA has prepared the Report on “Intra-state Transmission resource adequacy plan for NER states by the year 2034-35” which contains augmentation of the transmission system in the NER states required by the year 2034-35 to reliably cater to the demands of the states for that time frame. However, it is worth noting that executing the transmission projects, it requires a huge amount of investment, and the NER states are facing financial constraints to implement the projects. Therefore, MoP may consider financial assistance to NER States as NERSIP/any other comprehensive scheme, etc.,” Lyngdoh said.
A key concern flagged by Meghalaya minister was the financial burden of power procurement and project execution, particularly due to high Net Present Value (NPV) charges on forest land diversion. Lyngdoh urged the Centre to either exempt Northeast states from NPV or redesign the policy to reflect the region’s disproportionately high forest cover.
The minister also pushed for enhanced support for pumped storage projects (PSPs), describing them as critical for integrating renewable energy and stabilising the grid amid rising solar and wind capacity. However, he noted that high costs—estimated at around ₹20 crore per MW—remain a major barrier.
On infrastructure, Lyngdoh highlighted the need for significant investment in transmission systems to meet future demand, calling on the Ministry of Power to extend financial assistance through dedicated schemes.
He also flagged emerging concerns around cybersecurity in the power sector, urging the establishment of state-level security operation centres, backed by central funding, to safeguard critical infrastructure.
Importantly, Lyngdoh emphasised that affordability must remain central to policy decisions, noting that power is not just an economic input but a basic necessity.
“The region must collectively present its concerns to the Government of India to ensure a reliable, efficient, and economical power system,” he said, calling for a unified Northeast approach on key issues.
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