Shillong, Feb 24: United Democratic Party (UDP) MLA for West Shillong Paul Lyngdoh went after his party boss and Power Minister Metbah Lyngdoh again today over the condition of the state-owned Meghalaya Energy Corp Ltd (MeECL).
In the second such instance during the ongoing Budget Session, Paul, who was dropped from the cabinet a few months ago to make way for Metbah, questioned the Power Minister over the “rapid deterioration” of the power utility.
He referred to a cabinet-accepted inquiry report led by retired Justice RN Mishra that flagged systemic human resource deficiencies. Paul sought clarity on the institutional framework to monitor local employment commitments and whether the Meghalaya Industrial and Investment Promotion Policy (MIPA) 2024 was being implemented.
In response, Metbah said employment commitments for project-affected families are backed by the state’s Hydropower Policy 2008 and the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act 2013. He added that monitoring mechanisms include both internal oversight – by the Land Acquisition Officer and the Commissioner for Rehabilitation and Resettlement – and external oversight through independent third-party agencies and auditors.
On MIPA 2024, the minister confirmed that its provisions, including 90 percent reservation for local domiciles in non-managerial posts and 50 percent in managerial posts, are being adhered to. Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma clarified that the policy applies particularly to companies seeking subsidies and registering under the Act and is implemented on a case-to-case basis.
Paul further questioned the status of 255 vacant technical posts in the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL), but the Power Minister said the query fell outside the scope of the principal question and sought prior notice.
Meanwhile, Sangma asserted that the state government’s decision to outsource certain lower-category jobs in the power sector will not affect employment commitments made to local landowners and project-affected families (PAFs) in hydropower projects.
He clarified that outsourcing is limited to non-project functions at the MeECL level, such as security and routine administrative work, and does not apply to core project-related employment.
To substantiate his claim, the CM shared employment data from key projects. At the Myntdu Leshka project, he said, there are 69 regular employees, of whom 68 are locals and one is non-local. Among 72 contractual and casual workers, 70 are locals and two are non-locals. Similarly, at Umiam Stage I, 26 of the 29 regular employees are locals, while 11 of the 12 contractual and casual workers are locals.
