Rs 14 cr paid ten years ago by BSF
SHILLONG: The cash-strapped Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) has another burden of providing power for flood lights in the Meghalaya sector of the Indo-Bangladesh border manned by the BSF.
It was almost ten years ago that the BSF with the central assistance had deposited Rs 14 crore to MeECL to provide electricity to the border force for the implementation of flood lights.
However, now the BSF has no choice other than to depend on power generators to light up the borders.
A BSF official said that 75% of the work for the flood lighting in the border areas of Meghalaya has been completed.
Though Rs 14 crore was deposited with MeECL, electricity is yet to be provided and this will delay in completely lighting up the borders, he said.
In the meantime, the BSF is using 110 KV and 50 KV power generators as interim measure to provide light in 93 km border out of the total 443 km border which Meghalaya shares with Bangladesh since the electric posts have already been installed.
The power required for flood lighting in the entire border in Meghalaya is 44300 KV and there are 117 operational BOPs which will benefit from the project.
Chief Secretary KS Kropha recently said wherever fencing work has been carried out the flood lighting will be initiated.
“We hope that by March next, the flood lighting work will be completed”, Kropha said.