PHULBARI, May 8: Industries, mainly in the Garo Hills region, come really once in a blue moon. While in many places there are objections to the setting up of industries, other factors come into play, none more damning than the fact that the state can’t even provide support to these entrepreneurs through active electricity lines.
One of these newly set up industries belongs to one Rakesh Saha of Phulbari under West Garo Hills. Saha, who is a local businessman, always had a dream of setting up a water bottling plant and this dream of his has been in the making over the past 7 years.
Rakesh opened the plant under his ‘M/S Saha Enterprise Mineral Water Industry’ in late 2022 and has been struggling ever since to get it running.
“I had planned for a water bottling plant since water is easily available in our region. Since I decided to do so, I began working on getting all the required licences in 2018. The first thing I got to get the whole thing rolling was applying for a professional licence for my plant. I got that in the year 2018,” said Saha during an interaction.
Saha then began his arduous journey to setting up the bottling plant in his 1.75 bigha land in Chibinang. He began to apply for all the necessary licences for the plant, including that of the state as well the all important BIS certification from ISI, which is still pending due to the voltage being too low for him to operate the factory.
The BIS certification, he informed, would only be possible if he can ensure complete operation of his plant as every aspect of the water purification process needs to be certified. That can only take place once he gets the plant operational – something that is not possible for now with the low voltage.
“I got everything in place and even got an Atma Nirbhar Bharat Loan to the tune of Rs 90 lakh, all of which I used in setting up the plant. While the plant has come up, we are now at our wits end as the low voltage in our area has meant that operating the plant has become next to impossible. There is no point in asking the BIS certification authorities to come as we can’t operate the plant. An application for certification has been filed though,” added Saha.
To run his plant, Rakesh installed a transformer in the compound of his factory – a three-phase line that was expected to ensure all electricity requirements would be met. The poor voltage, however, has literally put him on the verge of bankruptcy.
“I was sanctioned the loan by the government in the year 2021 but only got the money in 2022 by which time I completed the plant in the hopes of immediately beginning repayment.
“My three-phase line should have been enough to ensure we had enough to run the plant. However we are getting only one third of the power required. The voltmeter hardly goes up to 200 despite the 3 phase line. There is no way the plant can be run with such poor voltage,” he added.
While the voltage to his plant may be low, the electricity bills are not. Rakesh has been shelling out at least Rs 13,000 on a monthly basis to FEDCO, the company charged with collecting electricity bills in the Phulbari region.
“There were high hopes that the plant would provide local employment to many of our area. However, now my plant has 15 employees who are sitting idle with me having to bear expenses for them as well as that of electricity and repayment of the loan,” said the businessman.
The loan that he has taken from the government is for a period of 7 years and his monthly EMI stands close to Rs 2.4 lakh. His overall expenditure, without so much as having gained a penny comes close to Rs 3.5 lakh, which he has been facing a huge problem in paying.
“All my savings are gone and there is not one source that I have not called upon to help me with expenses for the plant only in the hope of getting it functional. Now I have more expenses coming up in installing a generator which will come at close to Rs 7 lakh and will have daily expenses of over Rs 3,000 per day. Where do I manage all this and still pay back the people that I have loaned money from,” he lamented.
Rakesh had earlier approached FEDCO for a solution though the company did not have any.
“They continue to charge for electricity of which I am getting so little. I asked them to temporarily shut down the line until the problems can be rectified but they informed me that even then I would still get bills. I have no idea as to where a solution to this problem can be had,” said Saha.
Upon being contacted on the voltage situation in the plain belt, especially his own constituency of Phulbari, Power Minister AT Mondal said that a solution was due soon though it would not be immediate.
“We have spoken to the Power Grid Corporation on the matter and are working out a solution soon. The grid will be charged and that will provide a permanent solution to the voltage ails of the region. Until that happens we just have to wait,” said Mondal during a telephonic interaction.
For Saha, the decision to open an industry in the state already feels costly and he now rues his decision to begin the plant.
“Now I am literally on the verge of collapse as there is no income, only expenses. While I expected myself to struggle initially, what is happening now is nothing short of discouragement. I just wish and pray the government understands my situation and supports me in keeping my plant running.
Without some support, I am looking at the worst for me, my family and all those that are dependent on the plant,” rued Rakesh.
What is interesting in the entire episode is that the newly opened plant is only the second such venture in the state and indicates the amount of support locals have when it comes to helping them develop into serious entrepreneurs.
