KSU asks Meghalaya govt to scrap power deal

Shillong, Jun 25 (UNI) The Khasi Student's Union (KSU) today demanded the government to immediately scrap the power deal inked with private companies.

'' The government should scrap the current power deal and take the views of the stakeholders into confidence before amending the power policy in the interest of the state, '' KSU president Samuel Jyrwa in a letter to Power Minister Conrad K Sangma.

The then 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 would develop the Kynshi Stage-I, Kynshi Stage-II, Umngot, Leshka Stage-II, Umiew and Simsang Basin.

Various NGOs, including four Cabinet Ministers in the previous government, had accused the Congress-led government of a ''total sellout'' of the state's interest by handing over the power projects to private companies.

'' The present MPA government has to decide to scrap the ongoing shady power deals, amend the state power policy in the interest of the state and immediately after, float NIT for new projects in accordance with the policy for enhancing power generation in order to ameliorate the bad power scenario the state is facing, '' Mr Jyrwa said.

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