Meghalaya cracks down on power woes, orders faster meter replacement and consumer outreach

Shillong, June 23: Amid mounting complaints over high electricity bills and erratic power supply, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma on Tuesday directed power officials and franchise operator SAI Computers to prioritise service delivery, replace defective meters and rebuild consumer trust in affected areas.

Chairing a review meeting at the State Guest House in Shillong, Sangma assessed issues relating to electricity supply, billing practices and consumer grievances in areas managed by SAI Computers under the Distribution Franchisee arrangement of the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL).

Reviewed power supply, billing issues and consumer grievances in areas managed by SAI Computers under the MePDCL Distribution Franchisee arrangement.

Stressed that consumer trust and service delivery must remain our top priority. While operational challenges exist, people expect… pic.twitter.com/WghEdyQP1R

— Conrad K Sangma (@SangmaConrad) June 23, 2026

The Chief Minister expressed concern over public resentment over steep electricity bills and irregular supply, saying consumers are concerned only with the quality of service they receive.

“Electricity is one of the most sensitive public services because it directly affects households every month. If people are paying higher bills and yet are not receiving reliable power, there will naturally be frustration,” he said.

During the meeting, SAI Computers informed the government that it had inherited several operational challenges, including a large number of defective meters, ageing infrastructure, transformer failures, unmetered connections and gaps in consumer data.

Officials said a significant proportion of consumers in the franchise areas belong to the Below Poverty Line (BPL) category and that many meters were already non-functional when the franchisee took over operations.

Directing the company to adopt a consumer-centric approach, Sangma said improving power supply, replacing transformers and upgrading infrastructure should take precedence over billing-related measures.

“The public does not care who inherited the problem. They want better service,” he said, while urging the franchisee to avoid imposing sudden financial burdens on consumers until service delivery improves.

The Chief Minister also called for extensive public outreach involving local leaders, church bodies, NGOs and community stakeholders to explain ongoing reforms and address grievances.

Chairman-cum-Managing Director of Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), Sanjay Goyal, informed the meeting that several infrastructure projects are underway under the Revamped Distribution Sector Scheme (RDSS), including replacement of defective meters, transformer upgrades and voltage improvement measures.

The meeting concluded with directions to SAI Computers and MePDCL to intensify infrastructure upgrades, expedite metering and transformer replacement programmes and submit regular progress reports to the government.

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