Deputy Chief Minister Prestone Tynsong today denied that there were moves to shift the head office of NEEPCO from Shillong to Guwahati.
He was replying to a query raised by Mawsynram MLA Himalaya Shangpliang in the Assembly during question hour.
Stating that he had verified the matter with the highest authority of NEEPCO following a news report, Tynsong said, “The intention of shifting the office of NEEPCO from Shillong to Guwahati does not at all arise.”
Raising the issue, Shangpliang said that as per the order issued on June 25 this year, three big offices of NEEPCO which include that of the executive director of operation and maintenance, director of contract and procurement and director of corporate project monitoring along with the sections of information and technology and the finance wing, have been shifted from Shillong to Guwahati.
However, Tynsong said NEEPCO has a temporary office which is fully functioning from Guwahati to facilitate the ongoing projects that it has in Arunachal Pradesh and other North East states.
The Mawsynram legislator also pointed out that the Managing Director of the NEEPCO no longer sits in the NEEPCO head office in Shillong which implies that the head office has been shifted to Guwahati.
According to him, local people working in NEEPCO feared that they may lose their jobs and face other inconveniences if the head office is shifted to Guwahati in the future.
Shangpliang also sought assurance from the State government to protect the interest of the local employees working in NEEPCO.
Concerns have been raised from different quarters regarding the shifting of various NEEPCO offices from Shillong to Guwahati.
Further, the shifting of offices to Guwahati will reduce the employment opportunities for the tribal youth from Meghalaya.
Meghalaya is a big beneficiary in the form of direct and indirect taxes from NEEPCO and its employees. Local people from the State are also the beneficiaries of various contract works, supplies, vehicle hiring etc.
NEEPCO has created opportunities for the educated youth of North East and 90 per cent of its employees are from the region including Meghalaya.
NEEPCO has been the subsidiary of NTPC since March 27, 2020. However, NEEPCO is still under control of the Ministry of Power.
