Moves are on to shift the corporate office of NEEPCO from Shillong to Guwahati.
It may be noted that NEEPCO was set up in 1976 with a corporate office in Shillong.
Since March 2020, the Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), other functional directors and senior executives are no longer functioning from the corporate office at Shillong. They have shifted their base to Guwahati.
It was also learnt that a number of important departments of NEEPCO have been shifted to Guwahati on the pretext of smooth functioning.
These include the departments of Operations and Maintenance, Corporate Planning, Corporate Project Monitoring and Contract & Procurement along with many employees.
The shifting of these departments and employees was without any valid reason and was done without any administrative order from the Ministry of Power.
Sources said that some more departments of NEEPCO such as Finance and Human Resources are in the process of shifting from Shillong to Guwahati.
Shifting of these offices to Guwahati will cause additional burden to NEEPCO in terms of establishment expenses.
This is the first time that the CMD and other functional directors of NEEPCO have shifted their base from Shillong to Guwahati.
What added to the controversy is that the residential quarters of the CMD and directors built at Laitkor at the cost of few crores of rupees remain unutilised since 2020.
NEEPCO has also acquired land at Umsawli in New Shillong Township. Peripheral development of the land was started a few years back but it was suddenly stopped for unknown reasons.
The shifting of the various offices of NEEPCO from Shillong to Guwahati has created confusion and apprehension among the employees.
Many employees have urged the Meghalaya government and pressure groups from the State to intervene and stop any move to shift the operations of NEEPCO to Guwahati.
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.
Therefore, the acquisition of NEEPCO by the NTPC should not defeat the purpose and objective of establishing NEEPCO in 1976 under the North Eastern Council. The interest of the North East region and rights of the people of the region should be protected at all cost.
