AGARTALA, Nov 14 (TIWN): After Chief Minister Biplab Deb and Law Minister Ratan lal Nath raised question, why Tripura Govt under CPI-M didn't do any business deal and collected shares or taxes from OTPC, Ex-CPI-M Power Minister Manik Dey in reply on Wednesday evening said that to overcome the pathetic condition of statewide power service, CPI-M Govt had to invite such business organizations, when State Govt was buying power from outside and still the state was reeling under heavy load-shedding.

"Before OTPC came under functioning, Tripura was suffering due to 16 hours load-shedding out of 24 hours. The demand of power was also increasing. Our Govt on that time attempted to increase the power generation capacity of the state and attempted to take a mega project in hand. This attempt had started since 2002-2003. In 2005 Central Govt and State Govt agreed for a mega project which is Palatana-OTPC. ONGC took 50% share of it and the rest belonged to IL&FS"

"We demanded high share too. On that time ONGC objected to give us share as it was also a Govt organization and if it would not get 50% share then it will tough for them to collect the profit from here. The ONGC further asked us to wait till the power generation begins. When we argued for long and they gave 0.5% share and one representative of the State Govt had been on the board always", Manik Dey told media at Melarmath Party Office.

"When project work began in each sector, we kept State Govt's share. When the project was at the final stage we again demanded a larger share from it. We demanded 10% share from the project on that time. After long pending, before 2 / 3 years OTPC Board rejected the proposal. After that IL&FS gave up a major share of it in the market and another new company IDFC bought the share", he said.

"IL&FS is now having financial problem and thus surrendering the share now. In this situation, if State Govt can buy the share it's good. We also tried for it, but the way the matter has been staged before media by BJP Govt that we (previous CPI-M Govt) didn't try to buy the share it's totally wrong", Manik Dey added. 

"Our main challenge was to get a mega-project and amid much obstacles, we fulfilled those vision and two units in OTPC we finally got which is generating 726 Mega Watt power, even though gas shortages are there. Total 7 states have been benefited from this project and Tripura's load-shedding problem decreased a lot", he said.

Talking about the VAT-relaxing issue, Manik Dey said, "ONGC led by CMD Subir Raha clearly told us if we keep VAT issue then they would not do the project. On that time to minimize the power cut problems we didn't have any option".

Dey further claimed that OTPC not only decreased power cut problems but also gave employments. 

(ONGC Tripura Power Company also known as Palatana Power Plant, is a thermal power plant station in Palatana, Udaipur in the Gomoti district of the northeastern Indian state of Tripura. It is ONGC's first power plant in India & also known as the biggest Plant in Northeast India)