Shillong, Sept 15: Meghalaya Power Minister James Sangma on Wednesday informed the Assembly that the power department is taking steps to provide power connection to Umiam-Block 5 located in Ri-Bhoi District.
Sangma’s response was towards a question raised by Umroi MLA George Lyngdoh that some residents have been provided with power connection.
The Power Minister informed that 16,369 residents in Ri-Bhoi have been provided with power connection.
To which Lyngdoh said that the reply of the Minister does not pertain to the question. “Question is particularly for Umiam block 5, which has not been given power connection for many years. But then the reply of the Power Minister is for Ri-Bhoi District Saubhagya,” stated Lyngdoh.
Sangma responded that that in Umiam block 5 it is an area which is under certain kind of encroachment, there are a total of 83 households out of which 25 households have been provided with temporary power connection.
Further the Umroi MLA, urged the Power Minister to review the entire situation since there are two cases pertaining to block 5.
He said that one is that a lease agreement is being processed to ensure that these households that have settled there for many years due to natural calamities back in 1960s so they have settled there. The lease agreement is under preparation at the same time the power connection is being processed. But due to the absence of poles and requirement for additional poles, it is requested that the MeECL would provide poles so that connection is provided.
Sangma clarified that in Umiam-Block 5, the 25 households have signed a kind of declaration stating that they are residing there.
“We are taking steps to provide additional poles. There are also certain distribution transformer which are required to install, for these we have prepared an estimate which is coming to a tune of Rs 8,37,637 and it will implemented soon and I can assure that,” mentioned Sangma.
