SHILLONG, Aug 29: The Meghalaya High Court on Monday disposed of a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the opposition All India Trinamool Congress (AITC) national spokesperson, Saket Gokhale after there has been no disconnection of electricity supply to entire villages .

In its order, the two-member bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice W Diengdoh said, “In the light of the categorical submission on behalf of the respondents that no coercive action has been taken against the collective for the default in payment on the part of a few, nothing remains of this petition. Accordingly, PIL No.10 of 2022 is disposed of. There will be no order as to costs.”

It also stated that the petition is said to have been filed in public interest and it is evident that the election is round the corner.

Gokhale in his PIL had alleged that that the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) and the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL) have resorted to arbitrary disconnection of electricity supply to entire villages on account of a few of the villagers having allegedly defaulted in paying their dues.

The Advocate-General appearing for all the respondents (MeECL and MePDCL), including the State, informed that there has been no disconnection of electricity of the kind complained of in the petition.

According to the respondents, transformers in several places in the South Garo Hills District, including at Kalibari, were destroyed due to lightning strikes or otherwise damaged in the usual course and required repair or replacement.

According to the State, the work may have taken some time but in most places the transformers have been repaired or new transformers have been put in place and the electricity supply to the relevant villages restored.