Agartala, May 8 (Agencies): The power-starved northeastern States have urged the Central government to reduce the prices of natural gas being used in various power projects of the region, a Tripura minister said on Saturday.
The power ministers of the eight northeastern states under the aegis of North Eastern Regional Power Committee (NERPC) met in Kolkata Thursday and Friday and decided to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy in New Delhi soon.
"The northeast power ministers would ask the central leaders that unless the government reduces the gas price, the people of the region would be burdened with heavy electricity tariff," Tripura Power and Transport Minister Manik Dey said by phone from Kolkata. "Over 48 percent of the total electricity is generated from the gas-based thermal power projects in the northeastern region," he said.
According to Dey, the petroleum and natural gas ministry had hiked the price of natural gas by 117 percent from Rs.2,112 per 1,000 standard cubic metre (SCM). "The 117 percent hike of natural gas would raise the power tariff automatically, causing huge inconvenience to the consumers," Dey said.
The power ministers of the eight northeastern states under the aegis of North Eastern Regional Power Committee (NERPC) met in Kolkata Thursday and Friday and decided to meet Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde and Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister S. Jaipal Reddy in New Delhi soon.
"The northeast power ministers would ask the central leaders that unless the government reduces the gas price, the people of the region would be burdened with heavy electricity tariff," Tripura Power and Transport Minister Manik Dey said by phone from Kolkata. "Over 48 percent of the total electricity is generated from the gas-based thermal power projects in the northeastern region," he said.
According to Dey, the petroleum and natural gas ministry had hiked the price of natural gas by 117 percent from Rs.2,112 per 1,000 standard cubic metre (SCM). "The 117 percent hike of natural gas would raise the power tariff automatically, causing huge inconvenience to the consumers," Dey said.
