Meghalaya power crisis a legacy of past government: James K Sangma

STAFF CORRESPONDENT

SHILLONG: Meghalaya Minister in charge of Power James K Sangma has explained as to why the Meghalya Energy Corporation Limited (MeCL) had to resort to load shedding recently, even as he added that similar situations had been there in the past 10 years when the present dispensation was not in power.

Talking to newsmen here, Sangma indirectly put the blame on the earlier government for ''plunging the MeCL into a financial mess and the faulty agreements signed by the previous governments with the power-distributing companies.

"We have a challeging task and we are trying our best. It is visible on the ground when we withdrew the load shedding in a span of four to five days." stated the Minister.

He added, ''The financial stress of the corporation is due to the misgovernance and mismanagement of the past governments."

Pointing out that the government has inherited a legacy of the past dispensation that contributed to the power crisis.

Explaining that the MeCL is incurring a loss of Rs 45 crore every month, the Minister stated that the highest amount of liabilities that the MeCL has is from the purchase of power, which is due to to improper agreements which have been signed by the previous government with the PSUs like the NTPC in the past.

Despite the faulty agreements, the clauses make it obligatory for us to make these payments, stated James K. Sangma. Currently, the MeCL is making payment of Rs 65 lakh daily to NEEPCO, Rs 50 lakh to NTPC and Rs 6.50 crore pe rmonth to the power grids.

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