SHILLONG, March 12: Opposition Congress on Friday served a notice on Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, accusing him of misleading the House in connection with the Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) of 2007, signed between the then Congress-led coalition government and the National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (NTPC).
“Under provision of Rule 67 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in Meghalaya Legislative Assembly, I am serving the notice to inform you that a motion on breach of privilege under Rule 158 of the Rules of Procedure and Conduct of Business in the Meghalaya Legislative Assembly will be raised by me on Monday (March 15),” reads Congress MLA, Zenith M Sangma’s notice to the CM.
The opposition MLAs had on Thursday decided to move a privilege motion against the CM for “misleading” the House on the PPA.
“You (CM) have deliberately mislead the August House on March 9 that the government is now helpless and will be compelled to pay the NTPC at Rs 11 crore x 12 = Rs 133 crore per year and Rs 133 crore x 25 = Rs 3,325 crore for total period of 25 years for not drawing power and by further deliberately hiding the operational part of para 2.2.4 and para 12.0 of the PPA between NTPC and MeSEB (Meghalaya State Electricity Board),” the notice reads.
“The operational part of the tripartite agreement (TPA) signed on March 20, 2003 by government of Meghalaya, Government of India and Reserve Bank of India (RBI), all of which governed the content and spirit of the PPA and by hiding the operational part of Section 26; Section 62 and other relevant sections of the Electricity Act 2003 and thereby misleading the August House,” the notice further reads.
Zenith also wrote that the information provided in the House is in complete deviation from the content and intent of the PPA between the NTPC and the MeSEB.
“The statement you (CM) have made is highly malicious to create false perception and bad taste in the August House,” Zenith further wrote in the notice.