Meghalaya Power Minister Confident of Pulling MeECL Out of the Red, Trimming Losses

The Minister emphasized ongoing efforts to reduce losses and increase efficiency across various departments.

Meghalaya Power Minister AT Mondal has expressed confidence in reducing the huge losses that the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL) has been incurring and making improvements in the state’s overall power sector.

The Minister emphasized on the ongoing efforts to reduce losses and increase efficiency across various departments.

He noted that significant improvements have been made as compared to the previous years.

“I am positive (about improving the performance of MeECL), and that is why we are working on it. There have been a lot of improvements compared to previous years,” said the Minister.

He also highlighted Chief Minister Conrad Sangma’s commitment to reforming the state’s power sector, specifically the three subsidiaries under MeECL which are – the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited, Meghalaya Power Generation Corporation Limited and Meghalaya Transmission Corporation Limited.

Mondal acknowledged the challenges the department is facing, such as loans, borrowings, and outstanding dues, which have affected both distribution and generation systems.

“I am thankful to Chief Minister Conrad Sangma for his guidance and support. Without his guidance and support, it would not have been possible because the government is giving us all the resources that we require. Moreover, MeECL is working in a very professional way,” he added.

When questioned about the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) report, which identified significant losses within the power sector, the minister acknowledged the difficulties but remained hopeful about improvements.

“We are working on it. It is not an easy thing. Forget about our generation distribution and transmission companies. Even in other states, there are similar situations. There are lots of issues such as losses in distribution and outstanding dues from consumers. We are trying to see that losses are minimized and efficiency is increased, which will indirectly help our consumers,” Minister Mondal said.

Earlier, Chief Minister Conrad Sangma revealed that the MeECL is currently incurring a huge loss of Rs 350 crore per year.

The Chief Minister said that the state government is actively exploring all available options to address the financial challenges of MeECL, including reviewing the corporation’s operational courses. But whatever the government decides will be with the knowledge and overall consensus of all stakeholders.

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