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Meghalaya Cabinet to decide on power projects tomorrow

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Shillong, Jul 23 (UNI) Meghalaya Power Minister Conrad K Sangma today said the state urgently needed additional power, even as the Cabinet is scheduled to take a decision on scrapping the six controversial power deals tomorrow.

Mr Sangma said the power deal with the six power companies was a necessity, but the way the deal had been signed had given rise to opposition both from the political parties and NGOs.

''The mess created by the previous Congress government in its agreement with the private companies has to be corrected,'' the Power Minister said.

Mr Sangma alleged that the previous government had brought about a change in the state's power policy just to serve the interests of the six private companies.

''The power issue has become the people's issue as everybody is concerned over how the deals were struck overnight by the previous government,'' he said.

Mr Sangma said he agreed with former Deputy Chief Minister and Congress leader Dr Mukul Sangma that the state needs to enter into an agreement with private companies for generating more power.

However, he alleged that the previous Congress government signed the deal in haste which fuelled suspicion.

Mr Sangma said the foremost agenda in tomorrow's Cabinet meeting will be the discussion over whether to scrap the power deal.

The previous Congress-led Meghalaya Democratic Alliance (MDA) government had signed a Memorandum of Agreement with Jaypee Group, Dharampal Satyapal Group, ETA Star infrastructure Limited, Athena Project Private Limited, Seven Sisters Energy Limited and SEW Energy Limited under the Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT) system for 40 years.

The six companies were entrusted with the responsibility to develop the Kynshi Stage-I, Kynshi Stage-II, Umngot, Leshka Stage-II, Umiew and Simsang Basin.

However, soon after taking over from the Congress, the United Democratic Party-led Meghalaya Progressive Alliance (MPA) government served non-operational notices to the six private Power developers, asking them not to develop the power projects signed with the previous government in the state until further notice.

The MPA government had constituted an official committee to study the details of the Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs). The committee, headed by state Chief Secretary Ranjan Chatterjee, submitted its report to the Chief Minister Donkupar Roy pointing out the ''merits and demerits'' of the MOAs.

''The interest of the state and the people would be foremost in coming to a decision on the deals signed,'' Mr Sangma added.

UNI RRK DPM KLC1529

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