SHILLONG: With the midyear examinations round the corner, the students of Umkaber, Lyngiong under Mawphlang are at a loss as they have to study without electricity.
Concerned over the plight of students and other residents of the area, local MLA SK Sunn took up the matter with MeECL authorities.
In a letter addressed to PK Shullet from Inspectorate of Electricity, Sunn said he had received a joint representation from 70 house owners of Umkaber, Lyngiong on April 30 where they informed that there was no power in the village since April 16 and requested him to do something as schoolchildren are having a rough time in preparing for the examinations in the absence of power supply.
Sunn said on the same day, he wrote a letter to Power Minister James Sangma to apprise him of the problem and urged him to direct the MeECL authorities to take immediate action for restoration of power supply at the earliest. In the just concluded Assembly session, Sunn had drawn the attention of the House on the frequent power failure in many villages of Mawphlang. He had also stressed the urgent need to streamline the service rendered by MeECL.
Sunn regretted that though he had attached the representation of 70 house owners duly signed by the secretary and headman of the village, power to the village is yet to be restored.
He asked Shullet to carry out inspection of the area and gather information from the villagers on the difficulties being faced by them.
According to Sunn, MeECL should have sent reminders in time to the villagers if they had not paid the bill.
Sources said there is excess bill incurred by 10 residents of Umkaber, but for this, the entire village should not be punished by MeECL.
To prevent accumulation of the amount, MeECL should send timely reminder to the defaulters which would have helped recovery of the dues, Sunn said.