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Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 27: The Hynniewtrep Achik National Movement (HANM) today requested the Power Minister AT Mondal’s intervention into the problem of power supply faced by the people of Ri Bhoi district.

In a memorandum submitted to Mondal, the HNAM Ri Bhoi District said “Despite the district's critical role in power generation for the state, it continues to suffer from frequent and extended power disruptions, severely affecting the lives of the people and the development of the region.”

Ri Bhoi became a full-fledged District on June 4, 1992, with Nongpoh as its headquarters. Over the years, the population has grown steadily, leading to increased demand for electricity.

“Currently, Nongpoh is reliant on a single 33KV Umsning-Jyntru power line, which is grossly inadequate for a district of this size and importance. With more than 400 villages and approximately 25,000+ households dependent on this aging infrastructure, there is an urgent need for a 132KV power substation to meet the growing demand and reduce the frequency of power failures,” it said.

Stating that Ri Bhoi District is home to five major power stations, the HANM said together, these stations generate 216 MW of electricity, making Ri Bhoi the largest producer of electricity in Meghalaya. However, despite this significant contribution, the district, especially Nongpoh, continues to face frequent power cuts.

These disruptions sometimes last two to three days or more, crippling daily life, businesses and essential services, it said, adding that the over-reliance on a 33KV line has severely limited the district's ability to meet its growing electricity demands. Moreover, these outages have caused disparities between the rich and the poor, as wealthier families can afford alternative power sources such as generators and solar power, while poorer households are left in darkness, unable to charge even their mobile phones-a basic necessity in modern times. This has widened the social gap and created a deep sense of inequality within the district.

It further stated that Nongpoh, being the district headquarters, is home to several key institutions, including the Deputy Commissioner's Office, the Superintendent of Police Office, the District & Sessions Court, Nongpoh, the Civil Hospital Nongpoh, the Nursing Institute in Pahamsyiem, Ri Bhoi College and various other government departments offices, schools, banks and business establishments. The frequent power disruptions have severely impacted the functioning of these institutions and affected public services, education, and healthcare.

“Despite numerous appeals and complaints to the government and the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), no concrete steps have been taken to resolve this issue. The people of Ri Bhoi District are being unjustly neglected, despite their contribution to the state's electricity generation,” the HANM stated in the letter.

In light of these concerns, the HANM has urged the state government to take immediate steps to address the issue by establishing a 132 KV power substation to cater to the district's increasing demand for electricity and provide a stable, reliable power supply.

It also requested the need to instruct MeECL to prioritize improving electricity distribution in Ri Bhoi District, especially in areas like Nongpoh that are prone to frequent and extended outages.

HNAM said that there is a need to create a system to address electricity-related complaints promptly, ensuring that the concerns of the people are heard and acted upon.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, Sept 12: Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal today said the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) is trying to minimise losses and increase its efficiency.

His statement was in reference to the recent report of the Comptroller and Auditor General of India (CAG), which had revealed that during the year 2023-23, around 65 per cent (Rs 371.17 crore) of the total loss (Rs 572.28 crore) incurred by 14 working SPSEs was contributed by two power sector SPSEs - Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited (MePGCL) and Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL).

“We are working on it. It is not an easy thing. Forget about our generation, distribution and transmission components even in other states also it is a similar situation.There are lots of issues of concern (such as A&TC losses, outstanding dues of consumers etc),” Mondal told reporters

“We are trying to see that losses are minimized, and efficiency is increased as this will indirectly help our consumers also. So we are working on it. Situations are better and if we work on this and it continues like this, things will be positive,” he said.

The power minister said, “The chief minister's target is to see that electricity is provided to consumers uninterruptedly and because of that supplement is required as you got to buy power especially during lean seasons and government of Meghalaya is helping in a big way and in that process, the amount also is very high.”

“If the same amount is not required by MePDCL, just imagine how many roads, hospitals, schools, colleges could be constructed. That is the concern of the chief minister and he told us in very clear terms that whatever reforms needed to be done as far as the three (entities of the corporation) is concerned, it should be looked into and we are working on that,” he said while adding “It is not easy. It is not that overnight we will do it. There are lots of problems there, borrowings are there, loan components are there, dues are there – all these affect the distribution system, even generation and transmission also.”

Expressing optimism to be able to revive MeECL, Mondal said, “I am positive and that is why we are working on it. You might have seen there are lots of improvements when compared to last year and the last two years also. I am thankful to the chief minister because without his support and guidance it would not have been possible because the finance department is giving us all the resources that we required.”

“MeECL is also working in a very professional way and till the date I have taken over, I have seen, they are working. You must be seeing that cyclone remal has devastatingly destroyed our transmission line, and very swiftly and competently MeECL has restored these lines though we have to employ additional manpower to restore the supply chain but we are doing,” he added.

Stating that this year, the MeECL has not gone for a single minute loadshedding, the power minister however said, “You may complain then why so much power disruptions/cuts. These are because of shutdowns for maintenance works or some transformers get snapped or get blown off or maybe pin insulators get raptured somewhere in the transmission line - all these require shutdown. These are not frequent load shedding but shutdowns required for maintenance especially on Saturday morning, you will face a little bit of a problem as we require shutdowns.”

Whether the MeECL is considering downsizing the number of employees, Mondal said there has been no decision taken to that effect so far.

“Exactly, there is no decision taken so far to downsize the staffing pattern of MeECL; rather we need some more engineers, then junior engineers and even staff like jugalis. We are having shortage of manpower also but because of financial constraints we are not able to take more manpower. As of now we are not thinking of reducing the manpower,” he stated further.

Employees of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) have threatened to resort to a sit-in-demonstration if the management fails to release the salary for the month of March by today.

The decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL (Employees) Associations and Unions (CCORMAU) here on Thursday.

“The following resolution was adopted unanimously that salary for the month of March 2023 be released latest by tomorrow April 21, failing which the employees shall be forced to go for democratic sit-in-demonstration on the next working day in the respective offices,” CCORMAU president PK Shullet said in a letter to the Chairman cum Managing Director of MeECL Sanjay Goyal.

He said the committee also demands that salary for the subsequent months be released in accordance with the Code on Wages, 2019, failing which there shall be democratic sit-in demonstrations on the next working day.

Shullet also referred to Sec 17 Liv of the Code on Wages, 2019, which stipulates that "The employer shall pay or cause to be paid wages to the employees, engaged on a "monthly basis, before the expiry of the seventh day of the succeeding month."

He further reminded that numerous correspondences had been made to the CMD, requesting for timely disbursement of salaries and in this regard, a memorandum dated January 9, 2023, had also been submitted to him.

“However, it is regrettable to say that in spite of our repeated pleas, there has been a habitual delay and the salary of March 2023 is yet to be released,” he said.

Staff Reporter

Shillong, April 6: Minister in charge of Power Abu Taher Mondal stated that there is no policy to regularize the services of the contractual employees in Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL).

“(There is) no policy as such to regularize. Whenever required as such, MeECL goes for advertisement and appointments are given on that basis,” Mondal told the reporters.

ALSO READ: Shutdown of power projects usher in load shedding

He added that “the one who works under different categories, it is not that they will be taken like that they will have to go for proper employment policy”.

It may be mentioned here that the MeECL Progressive Workers’ Union (MePWU) has been calling for a series of agitations demanding the MeECL management to frame a policy for the regularization of long-standing casual workers.

Meghalaya Times

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