MeECL to reduce load shedding duration by 4-5 hours

SHILLONG: Aggrieved citizens of Meghalaya may expect partial relief from the long hours of power cuts as NEEPCO has assured to resume power supply to Meghalaya from May 8, NEEPCO Director (F) A.G. West Kharkongor, informed on Tuesday.
The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), in a notice issued on Tuesday evening, said that in view of availability of additional power on account of withdrawal of power regulation by NEEPCO, the period of daily load shedding would be reduced by four to five hours “from 00.00 hours of May 8 throughout the State.”
MeECL further assured that there would be further reduction in the duration of load shedding as and when its own power generation improved.
The decision to lift the regulation of power to Meghalaya was taken consequent to a meeting in Delhi in the presence of Union Power Ministry on May 2 where it was decided that an initial payment of Rs. 30 crore along with post dated cheques of Rs. 20 crore each for three months would be made by the Government of Meghalaya, which had given the assurance for making the payment within this week.
Kharkongor said the matter would be taken up for review by the Union Power Ministry on May 12.
After deregulation, MeECL would be eligible to draw additional power to the tune of 30 MW during off-peak hours and up to 78 MW during peak hours in addition to approximately 12 MW of power being supplied to Meghalaya from Kopili Hydro Electric Plant.