TURA: The opposition United Democratic Party (UDP) has criticised the Congress government in the state and the power department’s Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) for failing in its duty to provide electricity to a village in North Garo Hills, whose inhabitants have been without it for over a month.
“During the inauguration of the Bajengdoba development block close to 45 days ago there was a thunderstorm in the area and a lightning strike on a major power transformer located at Rari village resulted in major damage to the equipment. Since then villagers have not received electricity till date,” accused UDP joint secretary Anand Marak in a press communiqué.
There are close to forty households in the affected area and students of the village have been struggling to study during the night hours.
The UDP has accused sitting MLA Brigady Marak, of failing to reach out to the affected villagers and MeECL officials have been alleged to pushing the responsibility buck to others.
“Village elders who approached the SDO office were directed towards Tura, then asked to lodge a complaint in Williamnagar before finally returning to Resubelpara. They have been sent in circles by the officials,” accused UDP North Garo Hills president of the youth wing Chensbirth Marak.
Locals allege that the MeECL had directed them to deposit 30 percent of their outstanding power bills with the company so as to be able to move for a new transformer. They reportedly collected about Rs. 1 lakh (27 percent) and deposited the same in the second week of May after which a No Objection Certificate (NOC) for installing a new transformer was cleared by the power department.
“It is close to one month since the amount was paid and the NOC given but power has not been restored. People are suffering from the current heat wave prevailing in the Garo Hills for close to two weeks,” lamented the youth president of the UDP.
“We are going to meet the Deputy Commissioner of North Garo Hills and apprise him of the situation,” added Anand Marak.This is not the first instance of MeECL failing in its duties. Several thousand citizens residing in the humid plains belt town of Phulbari in West Garo Hills have been facing erratic power supply for close to two weeks due to damage to a transformer.
