SHILLONG, May 5: The High Court of Meghalaya on Friday directed the state government and the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) to file affidavits indicating equitable distribution of load-shedding hours and the alternative arrangements being made for maintenance of essential services like hospitals, airports and other key installations.
“Ironically, even while the order is being dictated, the power supply to this court has been interrupted. The power has resumed within a few second, but it may be a sign that the state ought to give an adequate answer,” the Division Bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh said.
“The State and the MeECL will file independent affidavits to indicate the immediate, the short-term and the long-term measures and projections of demand and plan of action during accidental shutdown of any power plant and alternative sources that may be available in the state,” the order said.
The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by Flaming B. Marak complaining of rampant power cuts in the state and the arbitrary load-shedding that has been resorted to by the officials.
The MeECL Chairman made a submission that the monthly demand of power is to the extent of 200 million units and the availability is only 88 million units.
“Such shortfall is because of a power plant in Tripura being shut down for technical reasons and the state finding no alternative source for power,” the MeECL chairman added.
“Electricity is no longer a luxury. It is the state’s responsibility to ensure that there is adequate availability of electricity as per demand and plans should be in place to meet the increased future demands,” the court said.
The court also said that the state should buy power from the open grid and enter into arrangements with power companies, several of whom operate in the Northeast, to ensure that adequate electricity is available to the citizens, subject to the cost therefor being met by the citizens.
The bench was informed that in another matter pending before the court, the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited has made a huge claim running into several hundreds of crores against the state for the state having entered into an agreement to draw a minimum guaranteed amount of electricity per year, but ultimately failing to obtain the same.
