Despite obstacles, Meghalaya is still dedicated to electrifying all of its rural areas by the end of 2028, according to Meghalaya Power Minister AT Mondal on Friday. Mondal acknowledged that the state’s power sector is “still in evolving position,” saying, “In Meghalaya, we still have hundreds of villages which are not electrified or de-electrified, but we do have hope that by the end of 2028 all these villages will be connected, and here RDSS is helping us in a big way.”
While pointing out the financial limitations, Mondal underlined the significance of investigating future-ready alternatives like Pumped Storage Projects (PSPs) during a speech on the fringes of the National Power Committee (NPC) meeting in Shillong. “It is nothing like that if we can create PSP. However, the Pumped Storage Project requires a substantial investment. It might reach Rs 20,000 crores if we choose to go with 1000 MW. We are unable to proceed with this initiative on behalf of the state of Meghalaya,” he stated.
Conrad K. Sangma, the chief minister, is still “very enthusiastic to see that the power sector develops,” he continued. Mondal reflected on recent progress, saying, “The state was experiencing nine hours of scheduled load shedding two years ago. We used to experience load shedding for seven hours, even in Shillong, the capital. That load shedding was planned. This indicates that our power industry was in a precarious situation. We no longer have load shedding on a single schedule. We can experience power outages as a result of the disturbance.
The minister drew attention to central cash release delays and regional financial concerns. “The majority of the proposals for the North Eastern Region state have been put on hold due to the Power System Development Fund (PSDF) fund freezing for nearly a year,” he said. The goals of the NPC meeting, which was held in Shillong, were to improve state-to-state collaboration, harmonize best practices among RPCs, and settle interregional power disputes. The discussions were attended by representatives from several states.