SSSU asks govt to allow border villages to avail electricity connection from Bangladesh

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaApril 21, 2019

SHILLONG: A village youth organisation has asked the Meghalaya government to consider granting No objection certificate (NOC) to border villages in East Jaiñtia Hills region for availing electricity connection from neighbouring Bangladesh.

 

The decision was taken by the Seng Samla Shnong Umkiang (SSSU) following the failure of the government to pay any heed to the complaints made on several occasions for providing adequate power supply to the villages along the international border with Bangladesh.

 

“After a thorough deliberation, we have decided to request the Government of Meghalaya (GOM) to kindly grant us NOC so that we can take electricity (connection) from Bangladesh. The GOM cannot give us proper service… We have said and requested enough, yet all our requests were dishonoured,” SSSU spokesperson Kynjaimon Amse said.

 

Amse in a statement issued on Sunday also informed that a formal request on this regard will be made soon even as he hope that the state government will consider the request as soon as possible so that the people living in the border will not be affected again.

 

Though Umkiang village and its adjoining villages were provided with electricity connection many years back by the state government, he however lamented that unfortunately the services provided by MeECL to these villages are very poor and unsatisfactory.

 

“We hardly receive even 5 hours of electricity in a day. Villages namely Kuliang, Umkiang, Pyrtakuna, Dona Skul, Dona Umbluh & Ratacherra receive electricity at 6 pm and it goes off at 12 am mid night. In many occasions the villages remain in darkness for weeks and months,” Amse said.

 

“In our village every day is load shedding day. Even this week, our village and the nearby village we are in darkness from Good Friday till today,” he said.

 

He further pointed out that despite the irregular supply of power, yet the month electricity bills are very regular and people are charged from Rs 650 onwards ireespective of whether they receive electricity or not.

 

“We have to pay electricity bills for the electricity we never receive and if our people are late in paying the bills they are being penalized,” the spokesperson added.

 

Accusing the MeECL for being least interested to address the concern of the rural population, Amse said village authorities have made several complaints yet no positive action have been taken to solve the matter.

 

He said due to this, people residing in these villages and their works have been badly affected especially their health being keeping in mind the humid climate conditions in the border.

 

Students in the different villages are affected badly due to the unavailability of electricity both for studying purpose and also to calm down the heat.

 

Meanwhile, the SSSU has also questioned the reason for the government not imposing loadshedding in Lumshnong, a village which is housing over a dozen cement factories.

“Lumshnong a hub of cement factories never witness any power cuts, thus leaving us with the thought thinking that the MeECL may have transferred the share of our electricity to the cement plants in the nearby areas,” Amse said.