Successive governments in Meghalaya have failed miserable to address the failing power scenario in the State. At the height of a bitterly cold winter the Government has ordered power cuts at different timings in different localities. This, despite the fact that customers of the Meghalaya Electrical Corporation Ltd (MeECL) are regularly paying their bills, because failure to do so would result in disconnection. In past years, power cuts would occur in the dry months of March to May when the Umiam Lake sinks to its lowest level. But whether the Umiam Dam is able to meet the needs of the State is debatable, having reached its shelf life. Interestingly, in recent times other than the Leshka Project which has overshot its initial projected cost many times over, we don’t hear of any new power projects. We also don’t know the status of those projects signed in 2007-08 by Dr Mukul Sangma as Power Minister. No one is asking any questions about those projects! Not even the new Government that has inherited this mess since 2018. Going through the annual report of the Meghalaya State Electricity Regulatory Commission (MSERC), 2017-18 reveals several anomalies in the function of the Meghalaya Power Transmission Company Ltd (MePTCL), the Meghalaya Power Generation Company (MePGCL) and the Meghalaya Power Distribution Company Ltd (MePDCL), all known as the Licensees. Books of accounts have not been updated and audited up to date. The MePTCL has claimed employee expenses for FY 2014-15 at 41.56 % excess over the approved level. The Commission has asked MePTCL to submit a detailed analysis of employee expenses, component wise. The Commission has also asked the Licensee to submit up to date of Circuit Kilo Meters of transmission lines, transmission capacity in MVA and number of Bays Sub-station wise by June 30, 2018 in order to fix the Operation and Maintenance (O&M) expenses as per the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission Regulations 2014. Further the Licensee has been asked seek approval of O & M expenses from the Commission.
The Commission also took note of the non-settlement of past dues to NEEPCo which in turn results in regulating power to consumers (read load shedding). Interestingly, in order to clear the power purchase dues of NEEPCO, MePDCL had approached Power Finance Corporation Limited (PFC) for sanction of medium term loan to pay off its outstanding dues of power purchase, and has also sought approval of MSERC. The Commission has allowed working capital needs of the Licensee in order to pay the power purchase dues to the suppliers as regulations do not allow any late payment surcharge for delayed payment. A detailed reading of the observations of the Commission informs that all the Licensees under the Commission are on malfunction mode. Going by protocol the annual profit and loss accounts of the Licensees should be made public. To revive the Corporation would require a complete makeover which includes laying off excess employees which no Government has the courage to undertake. Finally it’s the consumer that gets the rough end of the stick.
