Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal today assured that within next five years, electricity supply in every village of the State should be uninterrupted.
He was speaking at an interaction programme with Nokmas and village elders relating to power supply issues at Aminda Rangsa in Gambegre, West Garo Hills.
The minister was accompanied by Commissioner and Secretary (Power) Sanjay Goyal along with the senior officials of Meghalaya Electricity Corporation Limited (MeECL).
In his speech, Mondal assured that the issues raised by the traditional heads are being noted down and said, when officers are present at the programme, the issues and problems at hand can be discussed.
“Urban and rural issues are similar now. Within the next five years, electricity supply in every village should be uninterrupted. A sub-station should be set up with advanced systems, and voltages should be improved. A new substation is being installed at Damalgre and within two to three months it should be done,” he said.
According to Mondal, there are three villages in Gambegre with no electricity and the MeECL will see to it that electricity is supplied to these villages. He also said that during monsoon, cyclones and thunderstorms cause disruption to power lines and such disruption should be resolved first.
Stating that every household in the villages should get electricity, Mondal said that electricity problems arise sometimes because of tripping.
The power minister also reviewed the Power Department’s works and schemes in Garo Hills and directed officers to maintain power in the region especially in the aftermath of the heavy rains and resultant damage to the power lines in the region.
Commissioner and Secretary (Power) Sanjay Goyal said that the meeting was organised to hear and understand the issues faced by the people and take necessary steps to resolve the shortcomings.
“Today’s meeting is at the behest of the chief minister and power minister. We are now focusing area-wise, block-wise as to what are the issues and the problems, especially in the power sector,” he said.
Goyal also said that the MeECL and Power Department are trying their best to ensure that people get reliable power, with less interruption.
“People should get a good amount of electricity throughout the day and we are working on it. A sub-station has also come up in this area which is going to ensure that the power supply to this area is reliable and continuous with less interruptions,” he added.
He observed that the interaction will help the Power Department to understand the problems faced by the residents, thereby improving the functioning of the department.
