The Association of Power Engineers at Meghalaya Energy Corporation Ltd (MeECL) today demanded a thorough enquiry into the reason that the power utility cannot maximize generation.
The association’s president, Arju Dkhar, at the general body meeting here questioned the government on why, despite the new installation of machinery, the state’s power stations are not able to function to capacity.
He told reporters that the state has a power generation capacity of more than 350 megawatts but for whatever reasons especially during the rainy season, it could not optimize its generation and recently the power stations were functioning at 30-50 per cent.
Dkhar also said that the government has spent crores on power stations that still do not work properly.
In the name of strengthening distribution, generation and transmission, unnecessary loans were taken, he added.
Dkhar also mentioned that there is a shortage of manpower in the MeECL and, due to this, the linemen, engineers, executive engineers and assistant engineers have to work under constrained conditions.
The association also threatened to file an FIR against shortage of manpower in the MeECL. “It is high time we make our management and higher authorities accountable,” he said.