AGARTALA, Oct 27 (TIWN): Powered by Oil and Natural Gas Corporation Limited (ONGC), Tripura's 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plant has undergone complete shutdown from October 16 due to the gas cut from ONGC, said official source. Reportedly, The ONGC has started supplying gas from October 5 to Monarchak power plant and Monarchak was able to produce a power of 37 MW to around 60 MW round the clock till Oct 16 but the sudden crisis of gas supply from ONGC simce Oct 16 has disrupted the power generation. However, the 101 MW gas-based Monarchak power plant in Sipahijala district at Sonamura sub-division has stopped power production after ONGC has stopped gas supply to Monarchak power plant. Talking to talking correspondent, Monarchak power plant official said there is possibility that ONGC might resume supplying gas to the plant continuously from March 2016. According to the highly placed official source, currently the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) has stopped its gas supply to Monarchak power plant as both the Palatana power unit has started power generation in full swing.

The sources also confirmed that as ONGC has stopped supplying gas to the plant it could not continue power production during the festival days.There is a huge scarcity of gas at Monarchak power plant following which the plant is incurring a huge loss at present.

The official further informed that in a recent meeting with the officials of ONGC, TSECL and others at Delhi it is being decided that ONGC might continue supplying gas to Monarchak in full swing from March 2016.

The ONGC official further confirmed that as the Palatana power unit was undergoing shutdown, ONGC had supplied the gas to Monarchak from October 5 and continued supplying gas till October 16.  However, the sudden gas cut has shut down the power production at Monarchak power plant.

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.

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.