PAC raps govt for tardy implementation of power scheme

SHILLONG: The Public Accounts Committee (PAC) of the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly has slammed the state government over the slow implementation of the Saubhagaya scheme launched by the Centre in 2017.
The committee while raising concern over the failure of the Power department to electrify each and every house under the scheme within the initial deadline of March 31, 2019, said that its implementation must be expedited.
Talking to reporters after the meeting, PAC member and Congress legislator Zenith M Sangma informed that the state government has requested Union Ministry of Power to extend the deadline to March 31, 2020.
Lamenting the slow implementation of the scheme, he said that the Committee has asked the government to speed it up by working in close coordination with the contractors.
“Justice should be done to all the consumers who are eligible to benefit from this scheme,” the MLA said.
Another member of the PAC, HM Shangpliang, on the other hand informed that as per the mandated tender, 2211 villages in Khasi and Jaintia Hills have been identified to benefit from the under package-A. However, only 1546 villages have been benefitted out of which 449 are in East Khasi Hills.
In Garo Hills, 1923 villages out of 2748 have been electrified under package-B, Shanpliang said.
During the meeting, the Power department assured the Committee that the work of the remaining villages will be taken in the coming months.
While the Centre had launched the scheme in 2017, the state Power department launched it in April, 2018.
“After this, it took another 9 months to prepare the DPR. It was only in December 31, 2018 that the final work order for implementation of the scheme was issued,” Shangpliang said.