Tura: A power sub-station set up in the heart of the Mendipathar Industrial Belt in North Garo Hills to boost electrical supply and distribution and end erratic transmission remains unutilized over two years since the project was completed for reasons best known to the State Power department.
The 132-33 KV power sub-station was set up by the Meghalaya Power Transmission Corporation in 2008 to draw electricity via the new Agia-Nangalbibra distribution line and end dependence on supply from distant Nangalbibra-Rongkhon sub-station which is 90 km away.
A huge sum of money amounting to approximately fifty crore rupees is required for a single sub-station to be operational given the high cost of transformers and other electrical devices.
The line for the new connection was charged in June 2013 and the new sub-station was to begin distribution from December, the same year.
The establishment of the new station was to bring about a transformation in the power supply to entire North Garo Hills including the populated towns of Resubelpara, Mendipathar, Bajengdoba and Kharkutta which regularly face erratic power supply coupled with low voltage during the night time.
However, it is learnt that the Power department, in this case the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited which happens to be the holding company of Meghalaya Power Transmission Corporation, is yet to give the green signal for the transmission of power citing lack of manpower.
For any sub-station to be operational there is a requirement to have five junior engineers, five Supervisors and ten linesmen to run the station.
While the authorities in Shillong debate and delay the operation of the sub-station citing lack of manpower, the MeECL has a history of running its stations by appointing engineers and technicians on work charge and muster roll until a permanent placement is made.
As the delay continues and decay sets in, the Power department is losing crores of rupees annually which it could have received from power charge from industrial units in Mendipathar and monthly consumption by thousands of consumers across the northern region.
At present power continues to be drawn from the Nangalbibra-Rongkhon sub-station which witnesses frequent voltage drops in the night time.
