Defer signing of pacts between MeECL and other companies, Ardent urges govt

SHILLONG, May 12: Former Nongkrem legislator, Ardent Miller Basaiawmoit, has urged the state government to shelve any signing of agreement between the MeECL and any other firm or company.
In a statement issued here, Basaiawmoit said that the decision of the MeECL to execute the Letter of Award (LOA) for the operation and maintenance of the 56 33/11KV substations indicate its brazen disregard to the concern of various stakeholders.
Informing that the work under the MePDCL was awarded to M/S Broadcasting Engineering Consultants Corporation India Limited (BECIL), Noida, Basaiawmoit said, “However, one fails to understand the reason behind the rush to offer the LOA at this juncture. This has happened at a time when the state government had already constituted an inquiry committee headed by a retired judge.”
Recalling that various organisations and individuals had, in the recent past, expressed their apprehensions over a number of decisions made by MeECL, Basiawmoit said that the functioning of the Corporation is currently under scrutiny due to serious lapses and corruption charges.
He also questioned if the decision to outsource the operation and maintenance of 56 substations has been taken by the MeECL keeping in view the interest of indigenous people and the consumers at large.
According to him, it is expected that the state government will, for the time being, hold all the decisions of the MeECL management in abeyance till the inquiry is completed. “Therefore, I strongly urge upon the state government to put on hold any signing of agreement between the MeECL with any firm or company. The state government should also recall the issuance of the LOA for outsourcing the sub-stations. If the government fails to put on hold all the controversial decisions made by the MeECL management, it will seriously undermine the sincerity of the government and would be seen as an attempt to hoodwink the people,” he maintained.