THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Former Electricity Minister A K Balan has scoffed at the ongoing dispute over the possible environmental impact of the proposed Cheemeni thermal power plant pointing out that the LDF Government itself had decided that Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and not coal was to be used as fuel.
Balan, responding to a statement by Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed that the UDF Government would consider using LNG as fuel, said the decision was already taken by the previous LDF government months ago.
Addressing a news conference here on Friday, Balan said that it was on February 7, 2009, that the LDF Government sanctioned the proposal to set up a 2,400-MW coal-based thermal power plant at Cheemeni in Kasargod. Later, the project was modified to run on both coal and LNG.
The report submitted by Tata Consultancy proposed a 1,320-MW coal-based power plant and 1,100- MW LNG-based power plant. Later, the entire project was transformed as an LNG-based one. So there was no question of a dispute over the issue and disputes would only serve to kill a crucial project for the state, Balan said. However, sourcing LNG from outside the country will not be feasible, Balan said. Instead, the State Government should put pressure on the Centre to supply domestic LNG. The Centre should begin gas exploration in the Krishna-Godavari basin for the benefit of the southern states and Puducheri and Goa, he said.
Balan called for a 'political decision' to realise the 163-MW Athirappally hydel project.
He said that T K A Nair, principal secretary to the Prime Minister, should make his stand clear on the issue as Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh had stated in his letter to the Prime Minister that Nair was opposed to the project and that the project would have adverse impact on the environment.