SHILLONG, May 18: The MeECL and intrigues appear to have become synonymous. In adding to its litany of damning charges, the government has put on suspension a director of the Corporation’s subsidiary for alleged forging of age-proof documents.
Sources said that the current Director (Generation) of Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Ltd, Moonstar Shangpliang, was placed on suspension from service this week after it was prima facie established that the officer had submitted dubious documents in support of his age and educational qualifications.
Sources informed that recently the Power Department had directed MeECL to verify the date of birth and educational qualification of Shangpliang on suspicion of certain malpractices on the part of Shangpliang. This follows his appointment as Director in the recently created Meghalaya Energy Efficiency Limited.
A Committee was set up to review the matter headed by Director, Corporate Affairs. The Committee found that Shangpliang had submitted photocopies of documents pertaining to his educational qualifications which included a soiled and mutilated photocopy of the MBoSE admit card for HSLC as proof of age. Further, Shangpliang claimed that his High School Leaving Certificate is not available. He claimed that the admit card is the sole documentary evidence for his date of birth. Government rules, it was pointed out, demand that only the HSLC/SSLC certificate and birth certificate are admissible as proof of date of birth.
Sources also revealed that the technocrat had on earlier occasions tried to amend his date of birth, reducing it by four years. As per rules, changes are made only in rarest of rare case and after following due procedure. If at all changes have to be made to the date of birth of a government employee they are effected during the first year of recruitment.
In Shangpliang’s case, the date of birth was amended in 2004, after 16 years of service. Shangpliang, it is alleged, not only managed to change his date of birth by a whopping 4 years by clear manipulation and fabrication of records in connivance with other officials of MeECL. In so doing he managed to supersede 20 other engineers in course of his service.
Interestingly, after all these years of service and allegations of manipulation he still managed to remain in service and held the top position.
Sources say that the Department has only now woken up to this manipulation and taken cognizance of the whole matter.
Sources also said that the Department has put Shangpliang under suspension on grounds of forgery, besides directing Joint Secretary, Power Department to file an FIR under relevant provisions of IPC.
Forging date of birth during service is deemed to be a serious offence. Under section 468 of IPC the punishment is up to seven years imprisonment.
When the Committee asked Shangpliang for his comments he claimed innocence. When contacted for their comments, the Director Corporate Affairs, MeECL, DD Shira refused to speak. The current CMD, MeECL, Arunkumar Kembhavi also declined to comment saying the matter was lying with the government.
Some association members on condition of anonymity expressed outrage and anguish on the matter as many eligible senior officers were superseded and denied the opportunity to serve at the management position.
Meanwhile salaries and other benefits accrued to Shangpliang since 2004 will have to be recovered by the government if the charges are proven in a court of law, knowledgeable circles said.
