AGARTALA, July 20 (TIWN): Laying of gas pipe line for NEEPCO’s power plant at Monarchak is carried out at war footing and the work likely to be completed by mid of August said official sources of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC). After completion of work, ONGC will be ready to supply gas to the plant by the next two months said the source.Besides, ONGC had already paid fifty percent of the pending payment to the sub contractors. It may be recalled here that the Shivani Oil and Gas Company, which was tasked to lay the gas pipeline. But they failed to pay the pending amount to sub contractors after the agency was declared bankruptcy. To solve the issue, the ONGC, Tripura Asset has taken initiative to pay the sub-contractors for executing the remaining gas pipe-line work. The work of laying gas pipeline from Rabindranagar to Manarchak has been stalled for long time.

This has led to unnecessary delay in commissioning 101 MW power plant at Manarchak.

A long tug of war between ONGC and NEEPCO authorities ravaged most of the potential of the project over the past several years. The proposal to start Manarchak project was abandoned for a brief period in the meanwhile as well. After work for the project was started few years back, dilly-dallying in gas supplies from ONGC delayed the project since September last year though the project authorities claimed they had the open cycle ready to receive gas and start generation.OTPC authorities are expecting to start the second unit of the plant by the next two months.