From Our Correspondent
TURA: The failure on the part of technicians from the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) in pin-pointing the actual causes for the 43-hour duration of power cut in the entire three districts of Garo Hills that began on Monday morning and the subsequent line tripping that took place on Thursday morning have been jointly shared by the MeECL department and the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA).
The main MeECL sub-station at Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills that distributed power from the 132 KV line from Shillong to Garo Hills had snapped at 5:20 am on Monday morning but despite group crews deployed all along the jungle route through which the transmission lines flowed the problem could not be found, let alone rectified.
It took the entire of Monday and Tuesday for the technical staff of MeECL to search the transmission route for the disruption but their efforts proved to be in vain.
It is alleged that ground crews stumbled upon the problem only on Tuesday evening after their return from the jungle site.
A highly valued equipment used for measuring the power frequency exploded inside the Nangalbibra sub-station on Monday morning plunging the entire three districts into a power starved region.
What ought to have been repaired in less than an hour’s time took two full days and night solely because ground crews had no inkling about the cause. A line fault locator used by the field staff finally provided adequate data to the whereabouts of the fault. The permanent resident engineer was on leave at the time of the power disruption, his place taken over by a junior engineer who reportedly is yet to get versed with the system’s functions.
There are many who are crying for justice and action against MeECL authorities for failing to realize the importance of having experienced people to man crucial centres.
The GNLA went a step further when it called for a 12 hour bandh on Thursday morning that led to a delay in the restoration power lines which snapped early in the morning following a major thunder storm that lashed the region.
Power transmission line for Garo Hills snapped at Rombagre, 27 kms from Tura, early Thursday but no MeECL linesmen was prepared to venture out to repair the fault due to the bandh call.
“It became very difficult for the MeECL officials to deploy their junior staff due to the threat of attack by GNLA thereby causing immense hardship on the people,” said Deputy Commissioner Parvin Bakshi in Tura.
Power that snapped on Wednesday night was restored only on Thursday night at 7 PM.
GNLA bandh hits Garo Hills
The GNLA made attempts to target the non-indigenous population and police personnel in Garo Hills during the dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the militant outfit on Thursday.
Sources informed that GNLA cadres attempted to torch a few houses belonging to the non-indigenous population at Nangalbibra in South Garo Hills on Thursday morning, but were thwarted by timely police action.
Police also claimed that they shot and injured two cadres who were trying to shoot a non-indigenous trader at Nangalbibra.
In aother incident, GNLA cadres attacked a police team led by Sub-Divisional Police Officer of Dadengre Civil Sub-Division, Brono A Sangma, at around 4 pm on Thursday at Mrongre in West Garo Hills. However, no one was injured.
Meanwhile, the 12-hour bandh affected normal life in all three districts of Garo Hills.
The GNLA had called the bandh in protest against the killing of four of its cadres including ‘action commander’ Jeany Momin on April 5 by security forces.
The bandh which began at 6 am paralyzed functioning of offices, banks and other business establishments in all the three districts.
West Garo Hills headquarter Tura wore a deserted look during the bandh hours.
However, there was partial response to the bandh in Mahendraganj, Rajabala, Haldiganj and Singimari in West Garo Hills, Deputy Commissioner Pravin Bakshi informed.
East and South Garo Hills districts were also affected by the bandh.
GNLA questions ANVC splinter group claims of area dominance
The GNLA has raised doubts on the support base of the new militant group and splinter wing of ANVC headed by Bernard N Marak alias Rimpu who goes by the name of Torik Jangning Marak in his former organization.
The ANVC (B) faction headed by Torik and militant wing leader Mokus Marak had claimed that they would not allow the GNLA to enforce their 12-hour Garo Hills bandh in areas dominated by them.
“Torik Jangning’s claims do not hold much water because they have been unable to prevent the overwhelming support given to us by the people of Garo Hills. It is there for everyone to see that our bandh was a total success. Which area are they claiming to have liberated? Surely not in Garo Hills?” chided the GNLA political secretary Bikdot Nikjang Marak while speaking to The Shillong Times on Thursday evening.
He claimed that the bandh was necessitated because Garo Hills Police went ahead with the killing of their ‘action commander’ Jeany Momin along with three others despite their alleged willingness to surrender.
“ANVC accuses us of killing innocent people when they themselves are filled with the blood of countless number of innocent Garos who disappeared during their militancy days and continue to do so even now,” warned Bikdot Nikjang Marak.
“We have always forewarned those who are lured by government agents. We do not target innocents unlike the ANVC,” claimed Bikdot.