The controversy over moves to sell off Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) gets heated up with the opposition Congress today demanding to know the stand of the allies of the MDA Government on the issue.
“I want to know the stand of the regional parties supporting the Conrad Sangma-led government. Are they really serious? Or are they just playing to the gallery as far as the corruption issues are concerned in the State particularly with the MeECL,” senior Congress legislator Zenith Sangma said today.
Hitting out at corruption in MeECL, mismanagement and the intention of the government to sell off MeECL to private companies, Sangma said, “Even during this pandemic, when every citizen is fighting with Covid-19, the leadership in the MeECL is working overtime to sell off the entire MeECL and its assets, allegedly at the behest of Chief Minister Conrad Sangma and Power Minister James Sangma.”
“The present government led by Conrad Sangma is not supposed to be allowed to continue even for a single day. It has become very dangerous. I am telling you if they are allowed to be in the government, within the next 4 to 5 months, they will sell off the MeECL and they are firm. They are arrogant and they are careless and will definitely go ahead with whatever they are intending to do,” he added.
Alleging that the present government is insensitive, Sangma said that the policies adopted by the government are all anti-people.
He also threatened that Congress would launch massive agitation programmes across the State if the attempt to sell off MeECL is not stopped.
“We have the responsibility to play the role of a constructive opposition, so we cannot just be a silent spectator and we have to take a call at an appropriate time,” Sangma said.
Meanwhile, UDP general secretary Jemino Mawthoh has today urged the State government to totally scrap the major decisions taken on MeECL “as it goes against public interest and the State as a whole and will have serious ramifications in future”.
Mawthoh said UDP is strongly opposed to the move by the government to hand over to REC-PDCL the two distribution circles of MeECL (Khasi Hills and Jaintia Hills) for a period of 25 years, outsourcing of the 56 sub-stations, outsourcing of Leshka and New Umtru power stations and many other issues concerning MeECL which have been raised by the party in the letter to the chief minister on April 29.
