Shillong, July 22: The All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) has denounced the unwarranted practice resorted to by the MeECL of shutting down power supply to some villages in Garo Hills areas because of a few defaulters and demanded action against officials of the MeECL involved in such ‘criminal practice’ of depriving poor villagers of power.
All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) National President Saket Gokhale has written a letter in this regards to the Deputy Chief Minister of Meghalaya, Prestone Tynsong decrying the ‘criminal practice of denial of electricity to the entire village as resorted to by the Government of Meghalaya and MeECL because of a few defaulters.
The AITC leader has written that he has, for instance, found during his recent visit to a few villages in Bajengdoba in North Garo Hills where MeECL has shut down electricity to the entire village when a few villagers were late in paying their power bills.
“This is not only atrocious but also a criminal act of collectively punishing an entire village for the default of a few households. Neither the Government of Meghalaya nor MeECL has any right to deny electricity to villagers who have been making timely payments of their bills.
The AITC leader has urged the Deputy Chief Minister to look into the matter immediately and take action against the MeECL officials involved in such criminal practice of ‘blackmailing, coercion and intimidation by shutting power transformer to villagers.