SHILLONG, March 17: Power Minister James Sangma on Wednesday said all efforts were being made to resolve the issue of outstanding dues with the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation Limited (NEEPCO) which has threatened to regulate power supply to Meghalaya giving rise to speculations that the state is staring at another spell of load-shedding.
“We are talking to them and finding ways and means to resolve this issue,” the Power minister told newspersons after the Assembly session was adjourned for the day.
NEEPCO has written to the North Eastern Regional Load Dispatch Centre to regulate the supply of power to Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL).
In a letter to the Executive Director of North Eastern Regional Load Dispatch Centre, the Executive Director (Commercial) of NEEPCO said MePDCL has failed to clear the outstanding dues to the corporation even after the latter relentlessly pursued the matter at various levels.
The letter said the MePDCL dues continue to escalate and the outstanding in excess of 45 days piled up to Rs 156.70 crore as on March 15 along with late payment surcharge of Rs 347.71 crore. The total dues as on March 15 stand at Rs 504.41 crore.
“The notice is served for round-the-clock regulation of power supply to the MePDCL from all power stations of the NEEPCO for a period of six months from 00:00 hours of March 20 or till such time the MePDCL liquidates its outstanding dues of more than 45 days, whichever is earlier,” the letter reads.
The Union Power Ministry has also expressed concern that the MePDCL is unable to avail the opportunity of Liquidity Infusion Scheme (LIS) under Atmanirbhar Bharat to enable the discoms to clear their outstanding dues towards the CPSUs.
Responding to a query that the Union Ministry of Power had also shot a letter to the Secretary in-charge Power Pravin Bakshi regarding the failure of the MePDCL to avail the loan for clearing the outstanding dues, Sangma said, “It is not about MePDCL’s inability to avail the loan. NEEPCO is talking about the current outstanding dues but the department is processing the second installment of the first tranche of Atmanirbhar Bharat loan.”
He also observed that the Union Power Ministry has mentioned the date of March 15 in view of the end of the financial year.
“The last date should technically be March 31. We will avail the loan,” he added.