SHILLONG, MAR 22: With Garo hills plunging into darkness frequently, the Congress and the Nationalist People’s Party (NPP) leaders are engaged in blaming each other for the poor power scenario in the entire of Garo hills.
Meghalaya chief minister and Congress leader Mukul Sangma flatly blamed the NPP leaders, who during their tenure as NCP had formed a coalition government along with the UDP, for derailing power projects taken up by the earlier Congress led government.
But NPP leader Conrad Sangma, who was the power minister in the MPA government in 2009, however blames Mukul Sangma for terminating and cancelling the tender process of power projects during his tenure as power minister after the Congress overthrew the MPA government.
Mukul, however, told reporters on the sideline of the ongoing budget session on Friday, “The power deficit of the state could have been well addressed if the then NCP power minister (Conrad Sangma) had not sat on it.”
Mukul informed that the decommissioning of the proposed power projects in the state had delayed the initiative of the Congress government to boost up the power sector in the state. He said, “It derailed the power plant projects completely.”
Pointing out that many of the projects like the 500 watts thermal power project in the Garo hills region of the state is yet to see the light of the day, Mukul said, “ It takes a lot of time and effort to start all over again as the paper works and getting the clearance may take a year or more.”
Conrad, however, disagreed claiming that it was during the NCP led MPA government the initiative for the tender process for Ganol project was started. He told reporters, “You can check the papers if you want.”
Blaming Mukul for delay in the power projects Conrad said, “While the paper work was already done, Mukul as power minister during the Congress government terminated and cancelled the tender process as the terms and conditions did not match his requirements.”
“If Mukul had not cancelled the tender process, the work would have been completed by now,” Conrad said adding “Anyway this is the habit of Dr Mukul to talk… he does it all the time.”
On the thermal project, Conrad informed that the MPA government could not take the matter forward as the NEEPCO, a government agency, had sought for massive relaxation on the terms and conditions.- By Our Reporter
RTI , RTI, RTI…that is the only way to expose the corrupt , but would it matter…people are too gullible for cash…anyway, the law is the law please….and do not violate them…if you want respect from the common man respect them too….allow the Neepco to provide power…enough of PPP modes…they are almost all green horns and will do damage and only know how to provide commissions…Do not take the people for granted….