SHILLONG, Oct 11: The recent advertisement issued by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) calling for registration and renewal of suppliers prior to the expiry of validity period has met with opposition.
Most suppliers expressed unhappiness over the decision of the MeECL’s new management.
According to them, the move is highly irregular and it indicates that the system in place has been manipulated to allow the entry of favourites in the ruling party before Assembly elections, due early next year.
“Such unlawful act needs to be stopped,” a member of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Contractors and Suppliers in the MeECL said.
He said they were surprised by the advertisement published on October 7 as registration was called for only last year.
“The validity has not ended. We wonder what the ulterior motive is,” another member of the JAC said.
He said none of the line departments of the government would call for new registration and renewal of suppliers before the expiry of validity period.
“We have a strong suspicion that the intention is to accommodate some favourites of the people in power. The decision is illegal,” he said.
Stating that the validity of the five-year registration will expire in December 2025, he said the MeECL can issue the advertisement calling for registration and renewal of suppliers only in 2026.
“We cannot deny people to register but it should be in a proper way after the expiry of validity,” he said.
The MeECL vide a letter dated 19.01.2021 had empanelled 162 large suppliers and 54 small suppliers to supply electrical items required by the corporation for deposit/operations and maintenance works.
The corporation vide the same order had empanelled 15 stationery suppliers and four printing suppliers. The validity of registration is for 5 years with effect from January 19, 2021.
