Shillong, March 17: The State government is committed to improving the functioning of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) to ensure better services for the people of the state, assured Minister in-charge of Power, Abu Taher Mondal.
Speaking to reporters on Thursday, Mondal emphasized that the government is keen to explore all options to make the MeECL a profit-making entity.
To this end, the government will be examining the recommendations and suggestions put forth by various committees to enhance the overall functioning of the MeECL. “If there is a need, we will entrust other entities or government enterprises to make the corporation function in a better way. The Chief Minister is also committed to improving the functioning of the MeECL,” said the Power Minister.
Mondal also stressed the need for a major overhaul of the power sector in the state. “Our thrust areas will be the overall improvement of the power sector in the state,” he added.
While acknowledging that the MeECL was once a power-surplus state, Mondal noted that power consumption has increased over the years, making it difficult to meet the rising demand. “Our generation has not gone up in the same way while power requirement keeps on increasing,” he said.
Despite these challenges, the Minister in charge of power services in the state is optimistic about finding solutions to address the issue. He has flagged up the pending dues owed to various power generation and distribution companies and emphasized the need to reduce the gap between the power supply and demand.
Mondal also acknowledged the grievances of MeECL employees and promised to find ways to minimize losses, which will help the corporation to serve its officers in a better way. “We will be in a better position if we can resolve the issue with the NTPC,” he added, referring to the agreement between the MeECL and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).
Overall, the government is determined to make the MeECL a profit-making entity that provides reliable power supply to the people of Meghalaya.
