Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal said that the transformer damage rate in Meghalaya was around 5.55 per cent, which is better than the national average of 5.81per cent in 2022-23.
He said that the feeder interruption index in the rural areas during 2023-24 was at an average of 578 as against the national average of 419.9. In urban areas, the number was at 337, which was higher than the national average of 200.
Replying to a call attention notice raise by Sohra NPP MLA, Gavin Miquel Mylliem during the just concluded autumn session of the assembly, Mondal said the government is seized with the problem of frequent disruption of power supply and frequent breakdown of transformers in rural areas but will go to the last mile to provide electricity to the citizens.
He informed that the hour of supply for rural areas in 2023-24 was at an average of 22.21 hours as against the average targeted hour of 21.5 hours.
According to him, the hour of supply for urban areas in 2023-24 was at an average of 23.14 hours as against the average targeted hour of 22.75 hours.
The Sohra MLA raised concerns over the breakdown of power transformers that takes almost months to replace and shortage of linemen in the sub-divisional level that has affected the functioning of the MeECL.
Mylliem said that the lineman who are posted in Upper Sohra, Laitryngew area and Khatarshnong area are looking after 22 transformers, 17 transformers and 14 transformers respectively.
He further stated that the two linemen in Laitlyngkot area are looking after 36 transformers while the two linemen in Mawjrong areas are looking after 42 transformers.
“We need to understand that lineman are the grassroot workers of the MeECL whose functioning have a direct impact on the efficiency of service provided by the corporation to its customers,” the MLA said.
He called on the government to address the problem and said, “My suggestion is that the MeECL needs to prioritise areas of operations which are considered critical.”
