NEW DELHI, Jan 18: Power-starved Meghalaya has to do away with the annual ritual of unwarranted load-shedding to avoid being penalised by the central government.
Union Power Minister RK Singh on Thursday said that gratuitous load-shedding will be penalised as it is an insult to the people of the country.
Addressing a review meeting, Singh underlined the importance of making load-shedding a thing of the past.
“I do not accept a future where India continues to be a developing country. The difference between this future and that of a developed country is very simple: there is no load shedding in a developed country, every discom has money to buy power, people’s rights are respected and disruption to power happens once in 20 – 25 years. Hence, load-shedding will be penalised, it is an insult to the people,” Singh said at the meeting.
“We have said that consumers have rights to 24X7 electricity and that if there is any gratuitous load-shedding, then penalties have to be levied and compensation has to be given,” Singh said. (PTI)
