AGARTALA, Aug 16 (TIWN): Although ONGC claimed that they will start gas supply to Monarchak power plant from December but nothing can be said until ONGC gives any confirmation, said NEEPCO GM SR Biswas. Talking to TIWN correspondent, NEEPCO GM SR Biswas said that ONGC so far had not given any confirmation to NEEPCO regarding supplying gas to NEEPCO and until and unless NEEPCO gets gas supply it will not be possible to start power generation. He further said that ONGC earlier claimed that they will provide gas to NEE PCO from November and now they have changed it to December so there is no assurance when ONGC begins with gas supply. It is to be mentioned here that Monarchak 101MW power plant is lying dead since February and since then there was no power generation at the plant. However, ONGC is likely to supply gas to NEEPCO from its Sonamura gas collecting station by December. However, the 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plant in Sipahijala district at Sonamura sub-division is unable to support power generation as ONGC is not supplying gas to the plant.

 According to the highly placed official source, currently the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) is unable to supply gas to Monarchak power plant and will be able after December of this year and not before that.

The official further informed that in a recent meeting with the officials of ONGC, TSECL and others it has not been confirmed yet whether ONGC will continue supplying gas to Monarchak after December.

He said that when Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) pipes the gas to Palatana OTPC plant to get their both the units run as a result the scarcity comes up in Monarchak plant.

The ONGC was already asked to restore their gas supply and ensure sufficient gas supply to Monarchak now there is no assurance when will ONGC resume power supply, added official.

Run by North East Electrical Power Corporation (NEEPCO), government undertaking gas based power plant at Monarchak at Tripura Sonamura Sub division is currently facing a loss with its power production as the government of

Tripura run Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd. (TSECL) is reluctant to buy power from the plant due to high power cost as compared to other power plants in Tripura.

 The power crisis here in state seems to be a never ending issue. 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.

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.