PALATANA/UDAIPUR, November 23 (TIWN Exclusive): Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Commercial Generation (COG) from the Unit-II of OTPCs 726.6mw Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Thermal Power Plant on December 1 here in Palatana. Denying all the suspenses regarding the PM visit to Tripura, PMO has given the clarification to the Govt of Tripura, ONGC Tripura Asset and OTPC officials that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has finally consented that he will inaugurate COG from the Unit-II of the OPTC plant on 1st of December, 13.30hrs. With this the long wait for more than 9 years will have virtually ended as far as the full fledged Commercial Generation of UNIT-II is concerned. It is to be mentioned here that Unit-II is capable of generating 363.3MW power. On 29th September 2005 the then Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh laid the Foundation Stone of this mega power plant in Palatana, the biggest of such kind in the entire eastern region.

However , no details have been finalized regarding the PM visit.

On Saturday night ONGC Tripura Asset Manager V K Mahawar told TIWN over phone," Today we got the official confirmation from PMO that Hon'ble Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the Unit-II of OTPC on 1st December. However, at this very moment we can't make any statement regarding the details of PM visit as it will be finalized later on. PMO has not given any details regarding this. But it is scheduled that the PM will dedicate Unit-II to Nation at 13.30 hours. Today we had a discussion with the Chief Secretary G Kameswara Rao and as per the Blue Book of PM separate valid passes will be issued to those who want to enter inside the plant on 1st December."

    Speaking to TIWN,  OTPC MD S K Dube told  " For media coverage press persons will be allowed to sit in the Press Corner. As this plant  Unit -II has achieved the base target of 363 MW twice during our Trial Run."

 "Even on Friday night we achieved the target of 363mw. However, there is no short cut to technical satisfaction. BHEL engineers are doing their best to make the plant ready for Commercial Generation. All are now busy with their assigned work." However, S K Dube told TIWN over phone that due to some technical problems we could not start the full fledged generation. He said," We wanted to dedicated the plant to the people of the state and to the people of the country much before this. But some technical difficulties caused the delay."

Meanwhile Chief Secretary G Kameswara Rao told TIWN,''The PMO has only given us the confirmation regarding the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. We have several other programmes keeping in mind with the PM visit. But nothing has been clarified so far from the PMO. Right now , you can easily guess, as the PM is having some some political rallies on Jharkhand and J & K, the time table is not yet confirmed. "

       It is to be mentioned here that the Prime Minister will start his NORTH- EASTERN states visit on 29th of November. During this four day visit the PM will visit Nagalanad, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam and on December 1st,  PM will come here by a special flight from Guwahati and will go to Palatana by helicopter and will return back to Guwahati after the inaugural programme. It is to be mentioned here that President of India Pranab Mukharjee inaugurated the COG from Unit -I om 21st June 2013 declaring it to be the World's largest and India's first Green Power Plant. And after one year and five months , the second unit is now waiting to receive Narendra Modi.

OTPC MD S.K.Dubey, ONGC Asset Manager V.K.Mahawar, Union Petroleum Secretary Saurabh Chandra, ONGC MD visiting Palatna Plant on Friday. TIWN File Photo