Shillong, March 11: Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma admitted that there is a number of blame games being played rather than debate and discussion in the assembly.
“The discussion has to be in a constructive manner and more suggestion should be coming in. Lot of members actually does that and it is healthy to see because there is a purpose of having a discussion and having the ruling and the opposition”, said the Chief Minister.
Commenting on the blame game carried on the 2007 power deal, he said, “I hope we will be slowly able to move forward and this kind of blame game is something even I also don’t want to continue but then one must understand that Governance is a process somebody was there in the past, somebody will be there in the future, some is there in the present right now ….”
Talking about the 2007 power deal, Conrad Sangma who was the power Minister in 2008-2009 said that certain things are legacy, even as he claimed that the agreement with NTPC talks about having fixed charges that are determined by the Central regulatory committee which amounts to Rs 13 crore now as it is fluctuating.
“There are three parts to the agreement, No 1 is there is a fixed charge clause clearly mentioned in the agreement, now the fixed charges are determined by the CRC Central regulatory committee, now these charges are as per the rate that is prescribed in 2015, which is Rs 11 crore,” Sangma said.
“Our point is when this fixed charge has come in we should not have agreed to it and that too for next 40 years we have to pay this fix charges. As that the LO himself just now said now the amount has gone from 11 to 13 crores, obviously, these rate keeps fluctuating, now the point is that the fixed charge would never have been there. In fact, by saying it’s not 11 but 13, it has been scary, It is a very lob sided agreement, rates are fluctuating and with fluctuating rates, we have to face 50 percent of the amount that is due on that present rate that is there that is the fixed charge and this kind of agreement should not be agreed to,” the Chief Minister added.
Commenting on the statement given by the leader of opposition Dr. Mukul Sangma in the house, the chief minister said, “ yes the LO has given a full detail they are going with central electricity act, these things are mandatory and there are certain provisions may be but what again I mean to say this has been going around for some time .”
Pointing out this is the legacy that is created following the signing of the agreement in 2007, the CM said, “ If you say how come the Government is unable to deal with NTPC, realize this is a legacy from 2007 when you sign the agreement it started that’s what we are trying to say and now the LO and others have also agreed that it is a legacy issue so. Now just coming forward today and saying why the MDA government not able to resolve the issue that the CM should resign, the power minister should resign, we are trying to say that it has a story a genesis behind.“
