KHNAM slams MeECL for violating rights to electricity of the citizens 

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 13, 2023

The Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) on Thursday said that the frequent breakdown of electricity supply is a violation of the rights to the electricity by the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) as given in the “Electricity (Rights of Consumers) Rules, 2020” notified by the Union government.

In a statement, KHNAM vice president Thomas Passah said that the Union Ministry of Power has promulgated rules laying down the rights of power consumers in the country.  

He said that the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Power and New & Renewable Energy had stated, “These rules shall empower the consumers of electricity and added that these Rules emanate from the conviction that the power systems exist to serve the consumers and the consumers have rights to get the reliable services and quality electricity.”

The Minister had said that Distribution Companies across the country are monopolies – whether government or private – and the consumer has no alternative – therefore it was necessary that the consumers’ rights be laid down in Rules and a system for enforcement of these rights be put in place, Passah said.

According to him, the key points mentioned in the rules are – rights of consumers and obligations of distribution licensees, reliability of supply, standards of performance of licensee and compensation mechanism.

“The frequent power cut faced by the public is a violation of the consumers as per the rules of the union government and the State Government has to take cognisance of the same,” the KHNAM leader demanded.

Further, he said similarly, water shortage especially faced by the people living in the Municipal areas is not justified after the consumer paid the due taxes to the Government, and water being the element of life. “Therefore it can be said the frequent disruption of water supply is also a violation of a fundamental right to life of the citizens of the state,” he said.