NEW DELHI / AGARTALA / PALATANA, September 11 (TIWN) : It was on 21st June 2013 when President Pranab Mukharjee dedicated the Unit-I of 726.6MW Combined Cycle Gas Turbine(CCGT) Thermal Power plant at Palatana declaring," This is India's first and world's largest 'Green Plant' of this kind " And even before the helicopter of the President took off from Palatana the entire plant was deeply submerged under 'complete shut down' for almost two months. Experts say ," This was purely due to the hasty initiative taken by ONGC Tripura Asset Manager, who gave the All Clear Sign to the ONGC Head Office about the Commercial Generation from unit-I under tremendous pressure from CM." Actually even during the inaugural programme of the Unit -I , 6 high powerful generators were used by OTPC to keep the plant operational while the plant itself was not fit enough for running. And the same thing would have been repeated this year before Durga Puja when the Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi would have been in Palatana to inaugurate the Commercial Generation from OTPCs Unit-II . But according to a highly placed sources closed to PMO and Ashoka Road(BJP Headquarter) it is learnt that PM Narendra Modi is almost certain to deny the much hyped invitation of Chief Minister.

     TIWN highly placed sources informed on Wednesday noon," Recently  PMO has been informed about the ongoing situation of OTPC. During this time it has been conveyed that the Unit-I itself is suffering from various problems even after 15 months since Commercial Generation began. And as of now Unit-II is not all in a position so as to start Commercial Generation. After getting the details PMO officials have suggested Narendra Modi not to go to Tripura to inaugurate the Unit-II as it would effect on the Indo-Bangla bilateral relationship since Bangladesh is to get 100MW from Palatana. – without ensuring that extra 100MW supply, hurried inauguration doesn’t make sense. PMO at present is taking all relative information about the OTPC plant's current situation. Till date PMO has not got any positive signal from its sources. Thus, considering the Ill effects of similar debacle like the one in 2013, PMO is likely to inform the State Govt very soon that Prime Minister will not visit Tripura before Durga Puja and that too immediately after the much talked US trip in September end.

      According to a top level official state govt too has assumed such information is likely to be communicated. As such Chief Minister Manik Sarkar may meet the PM again to convince him, adds TIWN sources. But BJP National President Amit Shah has recently been informed by state BJP unit that OPTC unit -II is yet to start its trial run. Even the OTPC Unit-II is not at all prepared to for commercial. Even on Wednesday night a high level OTPC official told TIWN," Unit-II is not going to start generation before Durga Puja. Even the some of spare parts from Unit-II have been installed unit-I when it suffered major set back. Most of these spare parts are yet to arrive in Palatana. And before replacing them even the Gas Booster Generator can not be put into operation. On Friday next BHEL engineers are scheduled to start Gas Booster Generator. But today the plan too has been cancelled. And the trial run cannot be started before ten or twelve days. "

     BJP headquarters in New Delhi is in touch with State BJP unit for day to day developments. And TIWN sources adds that even Amit Shah too has advised Narendra Modi to deny Manik Sarkar's invitation. A state BJP leader told TIWN," All know that CM’s plan was to attract international media by means of inauguration of Unit-II but we don't like the Prime Minister to come here right now when OTPC cannot even start trial run. And depending on the trial run success the unit- II will be declared ready for commercial generation. When OTPC will be in such a position, we too will happily ready to welcome Modiji in our state to be a part of historic movement." 

OTPC Palatana UNIT-1  Inauguration by President Pranab Mukherjee on June 21, 2013 - exactly 14 minutes after this inauguration UNIT-1 went shut down for over 2 months, OTPC hired 6 High Power generators to run the inaugural programby President in 2013