The Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) under the leadership of the present Chairman and Managing Director Arunkumar Kembhavi has decided to lease out the Leshka and New Umtru power projects to private companies.
The tender for operation and maintenance of 126 MW Myntdu-Leshka Hydro Electric Project in West Jaintia Hills district and 42 MW New Umtru Hydro Electric Project in Ri-Bhoi district was floated by Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited (MPGCL) on May 6.
The last date for submission of bids by companies is May 24 and the bids will be opened on the same day.
The invitation of outside agencies to run the two most important power projects is another stab in the back by the MeECL management taken during these trying and difficult times.
This decision is a drastic and radical step seen as an attempt toward selling, leasing off the assets of MeECL to the highest bidder and willfully ignoring the negative implications that such policy will have on the educated young and bright engineers of the State along with the skilled and semi-skilled youth of the State who will be deprive of a full-time government job.
It is important to mention that since the inception of these power stations, the engineers of MeECL have tremendously run the two stations with optimum efficiency and millions of units of electricity has been generated and crores of rupees of revenue has been realised under the supervision of local engineers and technicians.
Even in the case of breakdown of machines, the local engineers have resolved and restored the machine in optimal time.
This action of the MeECL Chairman and Managing Director Arunkumar Kembhavi is clearly seen as an attempt to undermine the capability of local engineers employed in MeECL and his action has paved the way for entries of private companies from other parts of the country to control the assets of the people of Meghalaya.
“With the leasing out of operation and maintenance of the two power stations, the future of all the qualified local youths who dream of contributing towards the State will be dashed,” several employees of MeECL said today.
It is also worth mentioning that in previous years, many senior bureaucrats have been posted in MeECL as CMD and not one of them has doubted the efficiencies of local engineers and technicians and never have they tried or even had the intentions to sell off or lease the assets of the MeECL when they were the heads. Their presence and contribution have always brought inspiration to all the employees of the electricity generating company.
