SHILLONG, April 20: Some retired Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) engineers have asked the Meghalaya government to order a CBI probe into the ‘special tariff’ reforms in the MeECL initiated by the MDA Government.
It was pointed out that of late, in the month of October 2020, there has been a reforms policy on ‘Special Tariff’ for industries initiated by Power Minister James PK Sangma and the Chairman-cum-Managing Director of MeECL, Arunkumar Kembhavi.
They claimed that the special tariff is special concessions given to the group of industries under the banner of Byrnihat Industries Association (BIA), which has adversely affected the revenue flow to the MeECL as crores of rupees destined to come to the MeECL’s coffer were discontinued as a result of such unjust policy/reform.
According to the engineers, the Meghalaya Power Distribution Company Limited (MePDCL), in a petition filed with the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MeSERC) to enhance the electricity tariff for all consumers for the year 2020-21, in February last year, had proposed to hike the tariff for the industries from Rs 6.60/unit to Rs 9.55/unit.
The MeSERC, however, did not approve the petition filed by the MePDCL and the existing tariff of Rs 6.60/unit stands along with the demand charge/fixed charge of Rs 230/KVA per month, they add.
“Surprisingly, after six months since the petition, the MePDCL, under Arunkumar Kembhavi, signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Byrnihat Industries Association (BIA) for the sale of power at lower price, from Rs 6.60/unit to Rs 4.90/unit,” they informed. “After the Special Tariff Reforms for Industries was rolled out, the loss of revenue to the MeECL per month stands at Rs 4.31 crore, considering the average power consumption of 18 MU/month by the industries under the Byrnihat Industries Association,” the engineers said.
Stating that this is “undoubtedly a big scam”, the engineers recalled that few days back, the power minister had given a statement that he had done nothing wrong and that some vested interests are uncomfortable with the reforms that he is trying to bring in. “The officers and employees of MeECL desire that the power minister and the CMD to come out with a categorical statement on whether the special tariff is a good reform or a bad reform, with full justification so that the public will know the intent and efficacy of such reforms,” the engineers added.
