SHILLONG, Sep 13: The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday attacked the state government on various issues including the alleged shoddy implementation of Saubhagya scheme, sufferings of villagers due to erratic power supply and faulty billing system.
It asked Power Minister Prestone Tynsong, who is also the Deputy Chief Minister, if the additional grant of Rs 150 crore sought will rescue the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) from the debt trap.
Tynsong had moved that an additional amount of Rs 150 crore be granted to defray certain charges which will come in the course of payment during the year ending March 2023 from the administration of the heads “2045 other taxes and duties on commodities and services, 2501 special programmes for rural development, 2552 North Eastern Areas, 2801 Power, 2810 New and Renewable Energy, 4552 capital outlay on North Eastern Areas, 4801 capital outlay on Power Projects and 6801 for power projects”.
Moving a cut motion, Trinamool leader and Opposition Chief Whip George B Lyngdoh said, “That the total provision of Rs 150 crore supplementary demand No 4 Head 2801 Power at page 5 of the list of supplementary demands be reduced by Rs 100 i.e., the amount of the whole supplementary demand of Rs 150,00,00,000 do stand reduced by Rs 100.”
Questioning the Minister on the Atmanirbhar loan which the state government earlier availed, he asked how much the MeECL is burdened with and how much is being paid monthly. Further, he asked if the amount sought in the supplementary demand will help pay off the loan or ease it.
The Trinamool leader said since the department sought an additional Rs 150 crore, it is important to highlight the ground realities.
He said the billing system is flawed, especially in rural areas, as the villagers receive the bill after a delay of four to five months and when they receive it, the amount is huge and they are unable to pay as the pandemic has reduced income opportunities.
Reminding that he raised the issue umpteen times in the Assembly, Lyngdoh said the irregular payment resulted by the delay in the generation of the bill has affected revenue collection. He cited that one of the households in his constituency was served a bill of Rs 2 lakh for two years for using 1 kilo watt domestic line. The family had to move a consumer grievance cell after its plea to review the same had fallen on deaf ears, he said.
Pointing out that the problem of interruption in power supply to villages is “rampant” and the transformers in many cases have not been functioning for months together, he asked the Power Minister to ensure that there are enough linesmen to attend to the problem.
Joining in the discussion, his colleague HM Shangpliang lamented that only towns like Shillong, Tura and Jowai enjoy maximum power supply while most villages reel under load shedding or they are cut off from power supply.
“People are also slapped with high power tariffs and the bills come once in two-three months to the tune of thousand of rupees,” he said.
Stating that FEDCO is tending to provide the services on a trial basis in Mawsynram area, he requested the government to review the services as the transformers malfunction frequently. He said a village in his constituency has been without power for the seventh month now.
He requested the government to look for an alternative option in Mawsynram where power once gone cannot be restored until the rains stop.
Shangpliang said Saubhagya scheme has been implemented only on papers in many villages in his constituency. The department has only installed a pole and a meter in some houses, he added.
He asked the government to review the implementation of the scheme in Mawsynram constituency.
Another Trinamool MLA Zenith Sangma said the Opposition had advised course correction in the power sector or else the MeECL will be in debt and now, the corporation finds itself in a debt trap.
He said salaries and pensions of last month have not been paid yet and this is a reflection that something is wrong in the management of the corporation.
Highlighting two incidents of electrocution during the implementation of Saubhagya work, he insisted that there should be some SOPs for the contractors executing the work.
“I want a clarification on the steps taken to ensure the safety of people working in MeECL and those associated with it,” Sangma asked.
Questioning the MeECL management, he said apart from the Atmanirbhar loan, the government had to give more than Rs 600 crore in the current fiscal to rescue the corporation.
