SHILLONG, March 31: The state government plans to overhaul the MeECL by plugging the loopholes that have plagued it, Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong said on Wednesday.
“The MDA government is dedicated to plugging the leakages for MeECL to turn around and be a profitable corporation,” he said.
Tynsong said the state cabinet discussed the style and functioning of MeECL more than 50 times and knows what the actual problem is.
“The problem has been inherited. There are so many loopholes for so long,” he added.
Stating that he is aware people want MeECL to survive, the Deputy Chief Minister said the government has taken a serious note of the functioning of the corporation.
Asked if the MeECL’s problems have been blown out of proportion, he said: “I blame nobody, but it is good that the issues have come out. We are open to discussion and the government is transparent.”
On the unearthing of power theft in Ri-Bhoi district’s Byrnihat by MeECL chief Arunkumar Kembhavi, Tynsong said the cabinet was aware of the detection. “The discovery of the leakages followed the cabinet’s discussions on how to improve the functioning of the MeECL,” he said.
He did not rule out the possibility of power theft being detected in other parts of the state. “We don’t want power leakages to continue,” he said.
Kembhavi and one of his officers at the 33/11 KV Rajabagan substation had conducted a probe in the Byrnihat industrial area without informing the field officers. Many industrial units were found to be stealing power.
Kembhavi also claimed that the monthly revenue collection of MeECL jumped manifold after the inspection of the Byrnihat industrial area. The collection crossed Rs. 80 crore each in January and February and touched Rs. 100 crore in March, a substantial jump from the Rs. 62-65 crore per month earlier.
