Congress demands independent inquiry into irregularities in the MeECL

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 17, 2020

The opposition Congress has demanded for an independent inquiry into the alleged large-scale irregularities and nexus of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) with the big business houses from outside the state.

“We want an independent agency may be by the central bureau of investigation (CBI) to immediately investigate into the irregularities and the people whosoever is responsible should be booked under the relevant sections of the law,” Congress spokesman and MLA from Rangsakona, Zenith Sangma told reporters on Monday.

Stating that the entire management of the MeECL is in a mess, Zenith, also AICC general secretary said if you analyzed, the reason is may be due to weakness or inexperience of the present leadership in the MeECL, which the government has failed to rectify.  

He said a very junior officer at the rank of Joint Secretary has been made the Chairman-cum-Managing Director (CMD) of the MeECL.

“Prior to this, very senior officer not less of the rank of a Chief Secretary or Principal Secretary used to occupy that post of CMD. Now surprisingly a junior officer was made CMD of a company? What is the intent of the government?”

Recalling that he had also raised this issue in the floor of the Assembly, Zenith said, “The Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma in his reply said it was a stop-gap arrangement and that a regular CMD will be appointed in the MeECL but till date the same person is lingering as CMD of the MeECL. It is for whose benefit? Who is getting the benefit out of this? When we are going through financial problem and this kind of activity is being seen meaning there is reasonable doubt that there is something fishy.”

“The Chief Minister just for the sake of replying, he will reply but doesn’t bother what he is speaking in the house and he will not bother to do anything – that is habit and nature of the Chief Minister of Meghalaya,” he said.

He also alleged that the present CMD is also holding three other posts as a Director of Corporation, as Director of Finance in the MeECL Board of Directors and as Joint Secretary of the Power department. According to him, two independent directors are pulled from outside. 

“Whenever there is any important decision taken in the Board of Directors, everything becomes monopoly (due to this). This is very sad. Why is the government allowing this to happen? Why is the government continuing to keep the same person to be the CMD of the company thereby spoiling the morale of the officers,” he said.

He also pointed out that as per convention and practice, there should have been representatives from the planning department, finance department,  power department, which is not happening.

Sangma said there are lots of irregularities in the functioning of the MeECL and there is a reasonable doubt to think that there is a malafide intention by the state government.

“The government must be knowing as all this is in connivance with some business houses as it is reflected that even during the allotment of certain tenders and works awarded, it was monopoly be it in the case of Saubhagya scheme,” he said.

“A Mumbai-based company and a Delhi based company they got the work, major chunk of works awarded (to them) and that too 50 percent above the schedule of rate (SOR) but 30 percent work given to local contractors were awarded as per schedule of rate. We want to know the reason behind the hurried manner in allotment of work of 51 to 70 percent above the SOR,” he alleged.

Sangma also accused the state government of appointing over 128 employees in the name of skilled multi-tasking assistants without publishing any advertisement.

“These people who are appointed were mostly from Shillong city and its periphery which has never happened before and that too only from one category thereby defeating the spirit of the job reservation policy. All 128 (newly appointees) were from Khasi category, it is injustice I want this to be investigated immediately,” he said.

Asked, Sangma said of the 128, 52 were appointed on June 26 and 76 were appointed on July 1 adding “that too they were appointed during the lockdown period”.

Meanwhile, the Congress leader said these are serious allegations against the state government as he demanded “I want the Chief Minister to respond and give categorically reply to these allegations immediately.”