Opp AITC leader demands white paper over MeECL irregularities, says BJP, UDP and others support Govt in looting public money

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaSeptember 23, 2022

Opposition AITC vice president and legislator from Rangsakona Zenith Sangma has demanded the NPP-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance government to come up with a white paper on the alleged irregularities in the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL).

“The CM and Dy CM must come up with white paper on these without any further delay,” Zenith said in a statement issued on Friday.

He alleged that the present MDA government under Conrad Sangma as Chief Minister is infamous for corruption in all sectors as this government of the day is of the corrupt and for the corrupt.

He said BJP, UDP and other regional parties are also supporting and facilitating the NPP government in allegedly looting the public money. “(They) are also party to it. They may deny it but it’s a known fact,” the MLA added.

Stating that the present scenario in the MeECL is worrisome, Zenith said, “I have raised these issues time and again, warned the Government that it would go beyond its coping capacity and ultimately it is going to be privatized. Precisely now it is going to happen as I envisaged. I have been cautioning them that it is going to be in debt trap and it is now in debt trap.”

He recalled that the reply of the government during the last Budget session was that the monthly expenditure of the MeECL was Rs 135 crore whereas the monthly income was just Rs 71 crore.

Again, during the just concluded Autumn session, the Dy CM in charge Power Prestone Tynsong had told the Assembly that  the monthly expenditure is Rs 150 crore whereas the monthly income of the Corporation is just half of it i.e Rs 75 crores only.

“Who will compensate for the deficit amount of Rs 75 crore every month and Rs 900 crore every year?” he asked.

The AITC vice president further said it is alleged and many a time it was carried in the media that come what may, just to fulfill their greed the people in power along with corrupt minded people, are using MeECL as a milching cow.

“Apart from taking loans after loans, a huge amount up to the tune of more than Rs 617 crores of public money has been drained out through this Corporation. They have made the MeECL crippled and now it cannot stand on its own. It’s the talk of the town that this government does not care for the people of the state, instead they think only for themselves and their alleged priority is to squeeze the public money through different unfair means,” he said.

“We want the answer from the government as to why there is no proper business plan. He should explain to the people of the state, why power is being purchased at a very high and exorbitant rate 12/- per unit but to whose benefits? That too, why without the approval of the MSERC?  There may be malafide intentions. The Government must answer to the people,” he demanded.

Another irregularity is the UGO billing system through the software awarding to the service provider without calling any tender, the AITC leader stated.