AGARTALA, Feb 16 (TIWN): Powered by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Tripura's 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plants has once again undergone complete shutdown from last 5 days due to some technical faults in the turbine, said official source.Reportedly, ONGC had been supplying gas continuously to Monarchak power plant and Monarchak was although able to generate power fluently from gas turbine but the sudden report of technical faults has disrupted the power generation.However, the 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plants in Sipahijala district at Sonamura sub-division has stopped power production after report of faults in the power generation from the gas turbine.Talking to TIWN correspondent, NEEPCO GM SR Biswas said that power generation is totally stopped in the Monarchak power plant due to some technical glitch.He further said that it will take time to resume the power generation and nothing can be said when it again starts power generation.The shutdown of Monarchak is a matter of concern for TSECL. TSECL cannot rely fully on Palatana, they should seriously think about alternate arrangement as Tripura is also willing to transmit 100 MW power to Bangladesh. The fluency in power generation of 101 MW gas-based thermal projects at Monarchak in Sipahijala district has become uncertain due to some technical faults in the turbines. The power crisis here in state seems to be a never ending issue due to lackluster attitude of authorities including Power Minister Manik Dey .

Either, due to lack of maintenance work or lack of gas supply, power generation is continuously hit and the common people are the ultimate sufferer.

It’s to be mentioned that Ministers words and administrative words do not match at all while gathering information for Plants but the actual sufferer are the common people, who are yet to see Tripura as a “Load-Shedding-Free” state, as promised by Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar.

Presently all the Power Plants are suffering due to various reasons: whether it would be for maintenance work or insufficient gas supplies. On the other hand Tripura is suffering due to load-shedding, but CM Manik Sarkar kept on promising to supply 100 MW power to Bangladesh.

The project’s foundation stone was laid in March 2002 by Suresh Prabhu, the then power minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government at the centre.

The environment-friendly project was originally slated to be commissioned in 2005. In 2007, the union power ministry abandoned it for a variety of reasons but work resumed in 2010 thanks to the Tripura government’s pressure.