AGARTALA, Oct 9 (TIWN): Powered by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Tripura's 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plant has undergone complete shutdown on Thursday morning due to the gas cut from ONGC, said official source.The ONGC has started supplying gas from October 5 to Monarchak power plant and Monarchak was able to produce a power of 37 Megawatt round the clock till Thursday morning but the sudden crisis of gas supply from ONGC has disrupted the power generation.However, the 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plant in Sipahijala district at Sonamura sub-division has resume power production after ONGC managed to resume its gas supply to Monarchak power plant.According to the highly placed official source, currently the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) managed to resume its gas supply to Monarchak power plant after the Palatana power unit has undergone scheduled shutdown. ONGC is able to supply the gas to Monarchak only because currently one of the units of OTPC Palatana power plant is undergoing shutdown,” official told to TIWN on Thursday.The ONGC official furthered confirmed that as the Palatana power unit is undergoing shutdown as a result ONGC has decided to supply the gas to Monarchak from October and was supposed to continue supplying gas till October 15.

However, the sudden gas cut has shut down the power supply from Thursday morning and there is no assurance when the ONGC will resume supplying gas to Monarchak after Oct 15.

Official sources further informed that in a recent meeting with the officials of ONGC, TSECL and others it has not been confirmed yet whether ONGC will continue supplying gas to Monarchak after October 15 or not.

There is a huge scarcity of gas at Monarchak 101MW power plant following which the plant is incurring a huge loss.

He said that when Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) pipes the gas to Palatana OTPC plant to get their both the units run as a result the scarcity comes up in Monarchak plant. The ONGC was already asked to restore their gas supply and ensure sufficient gas supply to Monarchak now there is no assurance when will ONGC resume power supply, added official.

 Run by North East Electrical Power Corporation (NEEPCO), government undertaking gas based power plant at Monarchak at Tripura Sonamura Sub division is currently facing a loss with its power production as the government of Tripura run Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd. (TSECL) is reluctant to buy power from the plant due to high power cost as compared to other power plants in Tripura.