SHILLONG, Dec 26: Meghalaya does not have any power dues, said Power Minster AT Mondal on Thursday.
“We don’t have any dues to utilities from whom we purchase power. This position is from last month. The central utilities had earlier threatened to stop supplying power as dues were not paid,” he said.
The state’s power dues once rose to Rs 665 crore, threatening to create a significant financial burden for MePDCL and MeECL.
Asked about the turnaround, Mondal said, “…MeECL is working and the consumers are also reciprocating. Many times, we receive the allegation of overcharging by MeECL but the thing is if you want better services, you should be prepared for that also. I request the esteemed consumers to cooperate with us.”
To address the problem of long-standing power dues, the cabinet had in 2023 approved the payment of Rs 565 crore to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in 20 instalments. The decision came after extensive negotiations led by Mondal. This deal meant that NTPC agreed to waive off over Rs 100 crore, with the added possibility of a reduced interest rate.
The government had previously utilised the Atmanirbhar loan, managing to clear 50% of the power dues amounting to Rs 488 crore.
