SHILLONG, June 26: Power Minister, James Sangma said reforms entail risks and challenges but they also help achieve milestones.
“I think change, or for the matter reform, is always going to be met with resistance. This is a normal reaction to any move for reform or change and it is understandable,” he said.
The statement was in the context of the government’s bid to bring about reforms in the Power sector.
Stating that the state government faces resistance every time it wants to introduce something new, the Minister said, “Reforms do carry a certain amount of risks but we have to come out of our comfort zone.”
He insisted on taking risks if the move is likely to reap dividends.
He said the opposition to the government’s bid to bring about reforms in the Power sector is on expected lines.
The Power sector is believed to be in dire straits and needs to be revamped. But then, interventions are often met with opposition.
Talking about some interventions brought in to reduce ATNC losses in the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), Sangma said, “The MeECL is using three billing software which have been integrated under one platform. One of them was designed by the MeECL officials themselves.”
He said he is confident that this intervention will improve billing efficiency. This will reduce ATNC loses since billing efficiency is a part and parcel of ATNC, he said.
The Minister said the other interventions pertain to the sub-stations.
“Work has been completed to a great extent and we are expecting these new sub-stations to be operationalised very soon. This will largely bring down the transmission distribution losses,” he said.