MAWKYRWAT, Aug 11: Headmen of four villages — Thangbyrniang, Nongmluh, Mawphansaw and Phlangmawprah — in Phlangdiloin area under Ranikor Civil Subdivision in South West Khasi Hills have taken up the purported failure of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) to replace or repair the damaged transformers in the area, which has forced the villagers to live in the dark for several months.
The headmen along with leaders of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) Umdohlun Circle on Wednesday met the MeECL in charge of the Subdivision at Mawkyrwat, demanding of the Corporation to solve the problem at the earliest.
Speaking to media persons after meeting, president of the KSU Umdohlun Circle, Dusterwell K Lyngdoh, said that Thangbyrniang village has been without power for six months. The people of Mawphansaw and Phlangmawprah villages have been without power supply since April, 2021, and Nongmluh since May, 2021.
Lyngdoh highlighted that besides the hardships due to no power supply, the villagers have also been afflicted with financial burden.
“During the preparation for different examinations in the last few months, parents from these villages had to rent houses in Mawkyrwat or Shillong and send their children so that they could prepare for their exams,” Lyngdoh said.
On the other hand, Swenderwell Thongni, Sordar Shnong of Phlangmawprah village, said that during the meeting with headmen and the KSU leaders, he had urged upon the SDO to instruct their staff (linemen) to perform their work accordingly and not to demand money from the general public when there is any damage to equipment.
“There were some incidents in which posts got damaged and it lasted for weeks. As headmen, we requested the linemen to look into the matter, but they said they were busy but if we gave them money, they would bring workers to take care of the matter. And this had happened many times,” Thongni added.
Left without assurances, the village headmen and KSU members have decided to call on the officials of the MeECL headquarters in Shillong, East Khasi Hills.
