Shillong, June 2: The Coordination Committee of Registered MeECL Employees Associations and Unions (CCORMAU) has stated that the decision to offer an outside party to run two distribution circles as well as run the substations of MeECL is a step towards privatization. Simultaneously, such policies have cut down the hopes of unemployed and skilled youths of the state in getting their service regularized in the future.
In a memorandum to Chief Minister, Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday, CCORMAU president P. Marwein also labelled the government’s decision to hand over two distribution circles to RECPDCL on a 25 year lease as unwanted and unnecessary.
He said these are very high revenue generating circles of MePDCL with the largest number of employees and having some of the lowest aggregate technical and commercial losses, where the power interruptions are also the least and the billing efficiency is more than 95 percent.
The areas proposed to be handed over to RECPDCL on lease are- Shillong Central Distribution Circle – areas under this Circle includes the entire Shillong areas and adjoining areas under East Khasi hills District, and Eastern Distribution Circle – areas under this Circle includes the entire Jowai both Urban and Rural areas.
Marwein said this move of the government has put the future of the employees at stake, which has caused much anxiety and unrest among them. As such, on behalf of CCORMAU, he urged upon the Chief Minister to intervene and stop the handing over of functions to the distribution franchisee.
Scrap LOA for operation and maintenance of substations
Additionally, the committee has asked the CM to scrap the LOA (letter of award) issued to M/s BECIL, Noida Uttar Pradesh for operation and maintenance of 56 33/11 KV substations in the interest of the MeECL and the state as a whole.
Marwein said since the date of commercial operations of these substations, the employees of the MeECL have run these stations with utmost efficiency, restoring station availability in optimal time. Thus, the CCORMAU feels that there is neither merit nor justification in the decision to outsource this same scope of work to outside parties at an exorbitant rate.
