Govt likely to ask NEEPCO to resume power supply to State despite pending dues
SHILLONG: The State Power Department would convene a meeting with the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) on Friday to discuss the delicate power situation in the State.
The meeting assumes great significance in view of the fact that MeECL has extended its load shedding timings to eight hours in a day in different phases. Some localities are without power for upto nine hours. Till the other day, four-hour load shedding by rotation was the norm in different parts of the city.
The ongoing load shedding by MeECL has been criticised from different quarters. From hospitals to water supply, essential services have been badly hit.
It is learnt that Friday’s meeting would discuss to see if there is any option for the State to purchase power from private companies despite the fact Meghalaya has huge pending bills of power purchase which is yet to be cleared by the Government.
There are indications that the Government would once again ask NEEPCO to resume power supply to the State even though Meghalaya has huge dues pending with the NEEPCO amounting to over Rs. 363 crore. The latter has suspended power supply to Meghalaya because of the pending dues.
Left with no other option, the MeECL has been compelled to resort to extended periods of load shedding. Because of scarcity of rain, it is unable to increase internal power generation within the State.
The water level in the Umiam reservoir is continuously dropping with the level on Thursday recorded at 3169.03 feet, and the level is expected to decrease further in the days to come if the rain continues to elude the State.
