NONGPOH/ SHILLONG: Chief Minister Mukul Sangma on Thursday inaugurated the 20×20 MW New Umtru Hydro Electric Project at Dehal in Ri Bhoi district even as aggrieved landowners decided to temporarily withdraw their agitation after an assurance by Sangma to look into their demands.
Soon after the inaugural function, the chief minister met the aggrieved landowners to discuss their pending demands. They decided to defer their agitation after chief minister assured he would do his best to solve their issues.
Security forces were deployed on the road leading to the inauguration site in a bid to prevent any untoward incident that the protests staged by landowners might have triggered.
Earlier, Ri Bhoi police seized black flags and placards from the landowners as the district administration refused to allow any kind of protest near the venue as the landowners failed to acquire permission on time.
The inaugural function here was attended by top officials of Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) comprising chairman and managing director, PS Thangkhiew, chairman of MSERC, WMS Pariat, director of power generation of MeECL, E.W Nongrum, NEEPCO chairman and managing director, A.G West Kharkongor and others.
Chief Minister Sangma, in his speech, lauded the untiring efforts of MeECL to provide adequate power generation in the state, saying it was because of the sincerity and dedication of all the officers and employees of MeECL that the New Umtru Hydro Electric Project became a reality.
“Power sector is the most important sector. It not only provides power to consumers but also helps sustain our livelihood and augment revenue of the state,” Sangma said, adding that “Meghalaya has various potential areas for power generation. To enable that, we need the participation of local people.”
He said Meghalaya has a lot of potential for power generation and if the state could have excess power and sell it to other states and countries like Bangladesh, the economy could be improved.
Sangma also urged the consumers to cooperate with MeECL by paying regular electricity bills so that the corporation could bring down losses and boost power projects in the state.
In his keynote address, Nongrum elaborated on the commencement of the New Umtru Hydro Electric Project, the foundation of which was laid in 2007 by the then chief minster D.D Lapang in the presence of Mukul Sangma, the then deputy chief minister in-charge of power.
Nongrum also informed that the total project cost of the project was Rs 629 crores, and that after its commissioning, MeECL generated 148 million units of electricity as a trial.
BJP flays govt
The state BJP has cited highhandedness of the government in inaugurating the new Umtru hydel project in Ri Bhoi as the landowners were not paid compensation.
BJP state general secretary Banshai Khongwir said protests against the inauguration of the project were staged because compensation was not paid.
“We condemn the action of chief minister Mukul Sangma for going ahead with inaugurating the project without paying compensation to landowners,” he said.
According to Khongwir, the irony is that police filed FIR against landowners who protested against the delay in releasing compensation and it is a violation of human rights.
